Only For You
by CSluvGCY
Summary: After Tifa's parent die, she is forced to live with her dad's co-worker. But, how will she be able to trust anyone anymore? After all, she's all alone in this world, right? Cloti
1. Lost Trust

This is my first, first, firstest, first fic ever! So yeah. Don't expect it to be so good. Criticize if you want. I think I need it..? Yeah. Criticize all you want, cause.. I'm like, new to this, and I'm sure that it will suck, but whatever! Here goes! AHHHHH!!

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Tifa's POV

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I stared out towards the horizon. The waves from the ocean splashed over and over again against the floor of the beach . My head hurts so much, I feel like its gonna explode soon. _Why me? Why is it always me?_ I'm all alone now.. I've isolated myself from everyone. I can't trust them.. or anyone else. I felt the cool wind blow against my skin, making me shiver. I whimpered as I thought about my parents; the only people I've ever really trusted..

**_Flashback~_**

It was snowing; beautiful snowflakes were falling from the outstretched sky. Me and my friends, Aerith and Yuffie were playng "Save the Princess". As always, I was the knight in shining armor, while Aerith was the damsel in distress. Yuffie played the dragon that guarded the castle."Roar!", yelled Yuffie. Aerith faked a scream, putting on a dramatic expression on her face. "Get away from her!", I screamed, trying to keep a straight face.

"Hey, Tifa. Don't you think we're a little old to still be playing this?", Aerith asked.

"Well.. We're 14.. And this IS what Yuffie wanted to do for her birthday.", I replied.

Yuffie suddenly burst into laughter, falling over on the snow-covered ground. I looked at Aerith, both of us confused. We all ended up laughing on the ground, our laughter filling up the quiet and empty park. "Hey.", said Aerith. "What if we do find our princes one day?".

"Princes?!", yelled Yuffie. "Aerith, you sound like all those other girls that want to be "saved" from something."

"Well," said Aerith, thinking. "How about our-"

"It doesn't matter.", I interrupted. "I mean, who needs to be "saved" from something? I can save myself! I don't need some kind of hero to come and-"

"TIFA!!"

I turned around at the sound of my name being said. I smiled, seeing that it was Barret, one my father's closest friends. But, he looked..kind of.. well, serious; not that he's never serious. It's just that, he looked scared, and seemed very tense. I figured maybe he was just doing one of his daily errands; running. He's been saying that he wanted to lose some weight, so yeah. "Hi, Uncle Barret!," I said, smiling as he finally reached me. What-"

"Tifa," he said, trying to catch his breath. "Hospital..parents..your..come."

I kind of got confused about what he said, but I did understand the "come" part.

When we finally got to the hospital, Barret rushed up to a nurse, asking her which room my parents were in. I didn't hear what she said, so I continued to follow Barret, my heart pounding. We went in an elevator, to floor 2, and stopped at the room 205. Barret stepped aside, making room for me to open the door. I slowly turned the knob, scared of what I might see. The room was dark, but I could still make out the figures laying on the beds. I tried to find the switch for the lights, but it seemed that Barret found it first. The lights weren't as bright as I thought they'd be. They were more like, 5 candles, during a peaceful and relaxing bath. I saw my mom; her neck was in a cast, and her head, along with the rest of her body, were heavily bandaged. I turned my gaze to my dad, his body also wrapped in bandages. But, I could still the red, crimson blood, soaking through. I walked towards my mom, seeing that she was closer.

"...Mom?"

"H-Hi, honey,"said my mom, clearly hurting from having to talk.

"Are.. you okay?"

"Hmm.. I don't know. Do I look okay?"

I forced out a laugh. "You look horrible, mom."

She just smiled and closed her eyes. I turned towards my dad, my eyes watering. Although he seemed too tired to talk, I still felt that I should go talk to him. I slowly went up to him, my body shaking, and my heart beating faster each second.

"..Dad?"

"H-Hi, sweetheart," he replied, his voice shaking. "There's my little princess."

I smiled. "What happened, Dad?"

"Nothing, just a little accident at work, honey.", he said.

_A little accident at work.. I knew that he was lying. But, why? What did he have to hide from me? Oh, gosh.. What if- What if they don't make it? No. I can't think like that. They will make it! They would never leave me here! _

Tears fell from my eyes, making my vision blurry. "Dad, please don't leave me! Please don't leave me here!"

"I would never leave you; not in a million years."

I looked at him, his brown eyes full of tears. _He knows he won't make it.._

_"_You promise?", I asked.

"I promise."

**Flashback ends~**

My parents stayed in the hospital for another 3 months. They were sometimes allowed to go on walks with me. We usually went to the well, by the center of town. When it turned into nightfall, we would sit on the edge of the bridge and look at the stars. On the last night, my parents told me that every star represents a promise; the ones being fulfilled are the brightest ones, while the ones being broken are the ones that are shining the least. I asked them which one represented the one dad and I made. They said it had disappeared. I didn't understand what they meant; they were still here. They weren't gonna leave me. They promised, right?

But, the next morning when I came to see them, their beds were empty. I told myself that maybe they were finally let out of the hopital. I went to the nurse by the entrance and asked her where my parents were. She said they were gone. _Gone?! No! NO! They promised me!_ I ran outside, towards the center of town. _Maybe they're waiting for me. To go watch the stars at night.._ When I reached the well..they weren't there. I stayed there all day and all night. Through the rain and the snow. But, they never came..

Aerith and Yuffie tried to comfort me; make me feel better. But, I only just ignored them and pushed them away. Uncle Barret never came back. I lost my trust for him, for everybody. Soon, I became a loner; hated by everyone. They all stared at me like I was a psycho, waiting for my parents.

And.. here I am. Sitting on the bridge.. knowing that my parents will never come back. My eyes started to fill with water, and pretty soon, I started crying. I quickly wiped off my tears, not wanting to be seen crying. But, what's the point? They've seen me like this since.. that day. My eyes started drooping. _No. I can't fall asleep. _Pretty soon I let my eyes close, too tired to even try to stay awake.

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When I woke up, I was in a room. A room that I've never seen before. But, maybe that was because it was so dark. I gasped. _Maybe it was all just a dream! Why did it seem so real, though? _I pushed that thought away as I got up and opened the door. As soon as I had stepped out, a bright light blinded me, forcing me to shut my eyes and stumble backwards. Before I knew what was happening, a pair of hands grabbed me by the waist, pulling me back on my feet. I quickly opened my eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the surroundings.

"Are you okay?", someone asked.

I looked down, hoping my eyes would adjust faster. "I-I'm fine.""What's going on? Where am I?."

When my eyes had finally adjusted to the brown carpet covering the floor, I looked up. As soon as I had looked up, I met a pair of blue eyes. It's not that I've never seen blue eyes, its just that.. It was, kind of.. magical; I felt like I was in a whole other world. I quickly looked down, trying to avoid those blue, enchanting eyes. Before I had looked down, I noticed that the pair of blue eyes had belonged to a boy about my age. He had blonde, spiky hair, and was about a head taller than me.

"It's okay. You're safe. No one's gonna hurt you- well, maybe emotionally, but not physically.", the boy said.

I looked back up at him. "My parents.. Are they really..?

"They're gone.", he stated.

Tears fell from my eyes. _I knew it was too good to be true. _I didn't want him to see me like this, so I dropped down on my knees and covered my face. The more I thought about my parents, the more my tears felll, and the more my head ached. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boy squat down next to me.

"Hey," he said.

I could feel his eyes on me. _Why me? Ugh, don't look at me. Dont look at me, don't look at me.._

For some reason, I looked up at him; and for a moment, our eyes met. He suddenly turned away. It seemed as if he was in deep thoughts. I ignored him and tried to control my breathing.

"Here!"

I turned to look at him. In his hand was a necklace with a ring on it.

"What..?", I started to say.

"It's my dad's," he explained. "Well, actually it used to be his. My dad used to wear it all the time. He said that it helped him through all the hard times he's been through. And.. Well, you're going through such a hard time. I think maybe.. You could use it."

I looked at him, then the necklace. The design on the necklace was simple; a plain, silver necklace with a.. _What is that? A wolf?_ A wolf-ring? It's pretty, though. _I don't want it.. It means too much to his dad. I can't-_

"It's okay," the boy reassured. "My parents would understand. Trust me."

_Trust.. Funny; lately I haven't trusted people anymore.._

"Here," he said, putting the necklace in my hand. "If you don't want it.. Hold on to it for me then, okay?"

I slowly nodded. _Ugh, you idiot! Why'd you agree? _I guess I was too busy yelling at myself, that I didn't notice the boy stand up.

"Come on," he said, putting out his hand.

I was just about to take it when I noticed that my legs were numb. I gasped. _Seriously?! Why now? _

"Something wrong?", he asked.

"Uhmm.. My legs.. They're.. numb," I replied, hitting them so they'd get..un-numb.

"I'll carry you," he said, squatting down in front of me; his back facing me.

"No. I'm good. A couple more hits should-"

"You don't trust me?"

As soon as he asked that, I looked up at him. I couldn't believe what he said. _I just met him like.. what? 5 minutes ago? And he expects me to trust him? _

"I.. haven't trusted anyone lately."

"It's okay. Just.. Put your arms around me, and I promise you'll be fine.", he said.

"Uhmm.. Okay," I replied, putting my arms around his neck and my body on his back.

He got up so quickly, I almost fell off.

"Hang on," he said, laughing.

I tightened my arms around his neck, careful not to choke him. _His back is so warm.._ I laid my head on his back, feeling the warmth of his body heat.

"You're back is so warm.", I said.

He chuckled. "Don't fall in love with my back."

"Pfft.. Like I would."

My eyes started drooping again. But, I let them close. I felt myself falling asleep on his back. The last thing I remember before I fell asleep, was a voice.

"Oh. By the way, my name's Cloud."

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Finally done! I didn't want them to meet in one of the next upcoming chapters cause.. Well, its kinda weird. Haha. Hope you liked it! I didn't ask RoyalPrince to read it yet... (sigh) Well.. REVIEW PLEASE!! You do not know how long I've worked on this story. (Not that long), but.. Well, I've been working on another one longer, its just that I skipped the first 2 chapters and worked on the rest.. So yeah. Lol. Just.. Uhmm.. Yeah. R&R!


	2. Being With You

AHHHHH! Lol. Thanks for the _reviews _guys! Uhmm.. It's okay it you guys don't like my stories. It's for MY entertainment! LMAO! JK JK. This was the most stressful chapter! Lol. I couldn't think of anything at all! I finally got an idea when I woke up in the middle of the night. LMAO. I'm so funny! But, yeah. Here's the next chapter!

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**Tifa's POV**

The sound of whispers woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling unsure of where I was. I tried to bring up what had happened.. But, I completely forgot everything. All I could remember was a pair of insanely irresistable blue eyes. I felt something on my palm.. I quietly looked down, and opened my hand. In my hands was the necklace!; the wolf-ring necklace! _Wolf-ring necklace? Wow.. Brilliant name, Tifa._ I had forgotten all about the people whispering, until I heard a knock on the door. The room suddenly became quiet. I had the urge to get up and see what was happening. The sound of a door opening and closing was all I heard.

"Is she awake?", someone asked.

"No," someone else replied. "Probably soon."

I heard soft footsteps coming towards me. I started to panic; What should I do? As questions ran through my head, I shut my eyes closed. The sound out footsteps soon stopped. I could feel someone standing in front of me, their eyes watching me, as if they knew I was awake.

"Could you guys leave?," asked the person in front of me, although it was more like a command to me.

There was an awkward moment of silence, then I heard the door open and close, again.

"It's okay. It's me, Cloud."

I opened my eyes, and saw the familiar pair of blue eyes, along with the blonde, spiky hair. I quickly sat up, still wondering where I was.

"Wh-Where am I?", I asked.

"It's alright," Cloud reassured. "You're in my house, okay?"

"You're...house?"

"Yep. Does it surprise you?"

I shook my head. "So.. why am I here?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now, you should wash up. There's some clothes in the closet over there for you," said Cloud, pointing towards the closet.

He then turned to leave. I made sure he left before I went to take a shower. As I turned the faucet on, the water poured down on me, making me relaxed. I quickly put shampoo onto my soft, jet black hair. After my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel, and walked towards the closet. When I opened it, I swear my mouth just dropped open. The closet was huge! Was it really necessary to make a closet this big? I walked in, looking around for some clothes. Everything was too much for me, so I just took a big, black shirt that had a big, cute frog on it, and wore it with jean capris and my black converse. After brushing my teeth and combing my hair, I put the wolf-ring necklace on. I looked at it as it dangled from my neck.

After a while, I headed out. I tried to find Cloud, but the place was so big! There were many servants here. _Weird.. I guess he's one of those rich, snobby kids. _I finally found Cloud in the dining room. He looked.. disturbed. I walked over to him, but he still didn't notice that was there.

"Uhmm.. Cloud?", I said.

He turned around and looked at me. "Are you done?", he asked.

"Yeah.", I replied. "So.. When are you planning to tell me why I'm in **_your _**house?"

"Let's go," he said, getting up out of his chair and heading outside.

I looked at him, confused. _Ugh, whatever. I don't want to think right now. _I quickly followed him outside. We walked for about 5 minutes, and crossed a bridge until we stopped in front of a small house. It looked more like a tool shed to me, though. When I stepped inside, I was amazed by how big it was. There were many things in here; not those random, useless stufff. More like a first-aid kit, towels, blankets, abnormally large books, big plastic bowls, pots and pans, a keyboard, pillows.. There was even a bed. Cloud sat on the bed; I did the same. I looked at him, waiting for him to explain.

Soon enough, he took a deep breath and turned to look at me. "Uhmm.. Let's see. Well, to start off, you're here because your dad and my dad used to work together. Although my dad was a superior to your dad, my dad considered your dad a co-worker, and a close friend. Your dad trusted my dad; as did my dad. So, before he died, your dad asked my dad to take care of you. I guess my parents are kind of like your godparents; in a way," he explained. "Do you really need to know how you got here?"

I shook my head. I continued to look around. Then, I remembered that there was a keyboard. My mom used to teach piano to me, so.. I kind of wanna give it a try.

I walked over to the keyboard. "Cloud? Can I.. Uhmm..?"

"Yeah, sure! Go ahead!", exclaimed Cloud.

I walked to the keyboard and sat on the long chair, putting my hands on the keys.

"Do you know how to play?," asked Cloud, sitting down next to me.

I nodded. I thought of my mother's favorite song, the one that she always used to play for me when I was little. Slowly, but gently, I pressed on the keys. My hands went from left to right, making such harmonic sounds. I guess this song could also be played by two people because a little after I had started playing, Cloud had joined in. After Cloud had started playing, I only used one hand, since Cloud had taken the other part of the song. I was having so much fun, and I smiled; my first smile in awhile. When we finally reached the ending, our parts collided with each other, making a beautiful finish. I smiled as the last notes were played.

"Hey, you're smiling!", exclaimed Cloud.

My smile slowly disappeared as I looked up at him.

"Aww.. It's gone," said Cloud. "You know.. You should smile more. It really brightens up my day."

I felt myself blush from his words. I quickly got up and looked over at his other things, pretending to be interested in everything in the room. I then heard soft, harmonic sounds coming from behind me. I turned around, and found Cloud playing on the keyboard. Out of instinct, I walked right next to him.

"Like it?," Cloud asked, turning around to face me.

I nodded.

"I can teach it to you," he offered.

"Uhmm.. I don't know..," I replied.

"Let's make a deal, then. I'll teach you the song, if..,"

"If?"

"If.. If you teach me how to slow dance.."

"You mean the waltz?", I asked.

"Yeah. I know its's weird since my family is.. rich, but no one's ever taught me... And I thought that maybe-"

"I knew how to," I said, finishing his sentence.

He nodded. I thought about it for a little bit. _Well.. It won't hurt, right?_

"Okay. Deal."

"Great!," Cloud exclaimed. "Let's start now!"

"Wait- What? Now? But-"

"Don't worry, Tifa," Cloud interrupted. "I won't bite you.. Yet."

I opened my mouth to say something, but was cut off when Cloud pulled me towards him, making me bump into his chest. I felt my face heat up right on the spot. I looked up at him. He looked into my eyes, as if expecting them to explode. I quickly turned away, and put my right hand on his shoulder, and my left hand holding his hand.

"Put your hand on my waist," I said.

"Okay.. Where do I-"

"Just.. Step where you want to," I instructed.

"Okay."

Cloud began to move side to side, pulling me along with him. I felt my heart beat against my chest. He spun me, making a perfect circle. He slowly lifted my left arm onto his shoulder, and putting his right hand on my waist.

"You're doing pretty good, Cloud.", I said.

"Thanks. It's not as hard as I thought. I just gotta.. Enjoy the moment."

I gave aout a small laugh.

"Oh, I almost forgot; we're going to school tomorrow."

"Wait, what?," I asked, not dancing along with him anymore.

"We're... Going to school. Tomorrow."

"Why didn't you ask me first?"

"Well.. I knew you would've refused to go. Besides, my mom said you had no choice."

I sighed. "Let's go back."

"O-Okay.."

As we walked back to his house, all I could think of was tomorrow. _School? Ugh.. Why me? _We didn't talk at all while going back. It felt awkard; more awkward than dancing with him. When we finally reached the house, I started walking faster, heading to the room they had given me.

"Hey! Wait up!"

I knew it was Cloud yelling out to me, but I just ignored him and kept walking. I was just about to turn the corner when I bumped into a woman about in her late 20s or early 30s. She looked as surprised as I was. I thought she was gonna yell at me for ignoring Cloud, but she just smiled at me.

"Tifa..," said Cloud, walking up to me. He suddenly noticed the woman in front of me and just stood there.

"Cloud, would you mind taking our guest to her bedroom?", the lady said. "She's had a long day. After all, she has school tomorrow."

"Uhh.. Yes, mom. I'll take her.", replied Cloud.

_Mom? Oh my gosh.. I just bumped into Cloud's mom! She must hate me!_

Cloud's mom smiled and slowly walked away. I looked at her, wondering why she was smiling.

"Come on," said Cloud, holding my hand.

"Aren't you close with your mom?", I asked.

"Yes."

"Then.. How come you froze when you saw her?"

Cloud stopped in his tracks. "It's just.. I never see her that often. She's always busy now. I was surprised she was even here."

"Oh.."

The rest of the way was pretty quiet. When we finally got there, I was so relieved. It felt like it had taken my whole life just to get to my bedroom.

"G'night, Tifa."

"Good night, Cloud," I replied, forcing myself to smile at him.

As I closed the door, the thought about going to school got to me.. Again. I didn't care to put on my pajamas. I just jumped onto my bed, and put the blankets over me. As I laid in bed, the memory of me and Cloud dancing slowly creeped into me. The thought of being that close to him; his warm breath on my skin, and his soft gentle touch. I quickly shook that thought out of my head. _He's a rich boy that lives in a huge mansion and I'm just an orphan girl. That kind of stuff only happens in movies.. _I slowly drifted to sleep, forgetting all my pain and suffering..

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Whoa.. Finally done! Took FOREVER! Lol. This chapter wasn't as good.. I think.. I'm not sure. But, yeah. I kinda rushed through it. Hope you like it! R&R!


	3. I'll Take Care of You

**Author's Note_: Woww.. I finally finished! Thanks so much for reviewing! Sorry for the late updates, guys! My dad is now SUPER strict on us using the Internet. That Loser.. But, luckily, I got to use the laptop, which has most of the keys missing, but, I do better when I'm typing, so I have no choice! I'm really bad at being descriptive, I think.. Sorry. And.. Please, please criticize if there's something that I need to work on! Welp.. Enjoy!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.. Or anything that has to do with Spongebob Squarepants.**

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**Cloud's POV**

I was sitting in the dining room, waiting for Tifa to come down. I was already dressed for school in my white and dark-blue uniform, and had also finished breakfast. My eyes were fixed on the stairs, hoping Tifa would be coming anytime soon. After the longest two minutes of my life, she finally came down. I tried not to stare at her beautiful form.. But, I'm a guy, it's natural. When she had finally sat down beside me, I could instantly smell her; her scent just intoxicating. "Do I really have to wear this skirt?," asked Tifa.

I looked down at her legs. She had on a white, brown, and dark-blue checkered skirt, with a brown belt, which brought out her long, smooth legs perfectly. I shook my head, breaking my thoughts. "Umm.. Yeah, sure.", I replied.

She sighed. I Iooked at her; her long, beautiful jet black hair flowing down past her shoulders.. She looked beautiful in her school uniform. "So," said Tifa. "How old are you?"

"I'm 16," I replied.

"Oh.. So then we don't have any classes together then,"

"We have lunch together," I stated.

"Well, I'm sure you've got friends to hang out with and stuff, right?", she asked.

I had to think about that for a little bit. The only friend I had was Zack, and we're best friends.

I looked up at her. "Uhh.. Yeah. Maybe one or two."

"Is it hard?," she asked.

_What? Having only a couple friends? What the hell is so wrong with that?_

"What is?," I asked, unsure of what she meant.

"Your.. Our school. Are the classes hard?,"

"No, not at all. Easy as pie..ish."

Her face seemed to relax a bit. I looked at her facial features; she was beautiful.. Naturally beatiful. She didn't need make-up to look pretty, unlike those other girls. I suddenly looked down at the floor, noticing her blush at my so-called "intense stare".

When I looked down, I caught sight of her shoes: Converse. Dark-blue converse with a white lining._ Where the hell did she find shoes like that?_

'You must really like converse, huh?,"

She looked down at her shoes. "Oh, yeah. I do. They're really comfortable, and they match almost any outfit," I chuckled. "Do you.. Wanna sign them?," she asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

I smiled. "Yeah, sure. Do you have a marker?,"

She pulled out a black marker from her bag. "**_Permanent _**marker."

"Alright, I get the hint," I said.

I slowly got down on my knee and started to write on the top of her shoes. On the left one, I wrote: Smile!, and on the right side, I drew a cloud with the word "Trust" in it.

"Alright, I'm done," I said, breathing out a sigh of relief.

She bent down to see what I wrote on her shoes. "Smile?," she asked.

"If you say so," I said, smiling.

She looked at me for a moment, then turned away to look at the other shoe.

"That means "Trust in Cloud". Get it? 'Cause "Trust" is in the cloud?," I explained. She looked at me, confused. "Because.. You know.. I'm the Cloud? That's my name and.."

"Oh.. I get it," she replied. "Sorry.. I'm really slow today. But, you're pretty smart, Cloud."

I chuckled. "It's time for school, Young Master Cloud," said one of my servants.

"Oh, right," I replied, picking up my backpack. "Come on, let's go!"

I quickly grabbed her wrist and ran out the front doors. As we stepped outside, my transportation was slowly moving up the big driveway. I looked at Tifa, her eyes were wide open, probably from shock at seeing the limousine.

"Is this good enough, Teef?," I joked.

She nodded. "It's way more than what I expected."

I smiled. _She's so easily satisfied._ "Well then, you better get used to it. From now on, whatever you want, I'll get it for you. Hopefully, it'll make you smile.."

"Do I.. really look that depressed all the time? I mean, I have smiled in front of you."

"Yeah, once. But, seriously, you do look depressed." She looked down. "It's okay. You have me; The Expert!," I exclaimed, posing like a hero. "It's easy to smile and be happy. Just think of me as.. Spongebob Squarepants. And right now, you're Squidward. Your goal is to become.. Patrick Star!, okay?"

She looked up at me and gave me a confused look. "You want me to be dumb?,"

"Wha-No-I-I.." I stammered.

She giggled. "I'm just kidding! You are so gullible."

"You know.. If you say gullible really slow, it sounds like elephant," I said, smiling.

"Really?," she asked. I nodded. "Guuuulllllliiibllleee.. Guuuullllliiibllleee.. Wait.. No it doesn't!,"

I chuckled. "Exactly."

She thought about it for a second. "Ohh.. I get it.. I am _not_ gullible!,"

"Says the one who thought gullible would sound like elephant," I teased.

She then started laughing. probably at herself. Her laugh sounded so sweet. It was so contagious that I started laughing along with her. We were acting like kids; Like kids just finding out what "horny" meant.

I suddenly realized that the limo's been in front of us for awhile. I quickly opened the door for Tifa. After closing the door, I went on the other side to get in. As the limo started towards school, I continued our conversation.

"Are you happy here, Teef?,"

She looked away, trying to avoid my eyes. "If you mean satisfied; yes, I am. But, happy in general.. No. I'm sure you knew the answer to that."

"Do I scare you?," I asked.

"What? Of course not! You've been kind to me ever since we met. Why would you think that?,"

"Because.. You always seem so tense around me. Like, you can't say much about yourself. And.. You're always trying to avoid my eyes."

"Your eyes remind me of the ocean."

"The ocean?,"

"Uh-hmm. It sparkles and shines, and it has that blue color; The magical, magistic color that draws me in. It's heart-warming," she explained, blushing.

"You think my eyes are magical?," I asked, smiling. "Well, it's not the first time people have talked about my eyes. They're very popular if you ask me."

"I can see that. So.. Is "Teef" your nickname for me?," she asked.

"Yup. You like it?,"

"It sounds like "Teeth"..," she said, pointing to her teeth.

"Oh. Okay then. What about I call you... Pablo?,"

"Wha-Pablo? Why?,"

"Because it sounds cool," I replied, smiling.

"Uhmm.. I think I'd rather be called "Teef" then," she said, returning my smile.

"I know," I replied.

"So.. What are your friends like?," Tifa asked, looking up at me.

"Well, uh.. Zack is really cool. Sometimes he's too full of himself, and he can be cocky at times, but he's very protective, especially for the people he cares about."

"Are there more?"

"Well, there's this one girl.. But, I don't really consider her a friend since she and her friend-girl just sit and watch us play football."

"Friend-girl?," she asked giggling. I glared at her, making her clear her throat and turn away. "I mean.. Tell me about them."

"Well.. Yuffie is a short-ass, immature tomboy who always gets on my nerves. But, I'll give her credit on how good she pickpockets."

"Yuffie?," she asked.

"Yeah, I know. It's a weird name, but girls say it sou-"

"No," she interrupted. "I mean.. I-I know her.'

'What? Dang, you must really have bad lu-"

"Cloud.. That's not the point."

"Oh.. Right. As I was _gonna_ say before I was rudely interrupted.. How do you know Yuffie?,"

She rolled her eyes. God, she is so cute.. I mean, pretty. "She and this other girl, Aerith, were my neighbors. They were my only friends, since I was home-schooled. But, I still knew many other kids because of Aerith and Yuffie."

"Wait.. Home-schooled?"

She nodded. "When I was a little girl, I always got bullied and picked on at school. So.. My mom decided to quit her job and stay home to teach me."

"Wait.. So you're saying that you used to go to the same school that I went to?,"

She nodded. "I remember your pointy hair."

"Wait! Why would _you_ get picked on?"

She looked down. "Because my family isn't rich.. We still aren't. And also because I always talked back to those stupid people."

"Who were you bullied by?," I asked anxiously. _Please not them.. Anyone but them. Well.. Besides me and Zack._

"..Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. I still sometimes have nightmares of them.."

_Ah.. Shit. Why is it always them? _I brushed her hair away from her face. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you, Teef."

"Do they.. Still go to school there?,"

"Yes, but I promise I won't let them hurt you."

"It's okay, Cloud. I'm a big girl," she said, opening the door.

I hadn't even noticed that the car had stopped. As quickly as I could, I got out of the car, and ran beside Tifa. "Stay by me," I told her. She looked at me for a second, then quickly turned away.

School wasn't as crowded today. I guess we arrived earlier than usual. I wondered if Zack was here yet. If Zack wasnt at school, I'd feel so.. Awkward. He's the only person that I ever talk to. "Where.. Where's my schedule?," asked Tifa, breaking my thoughts.

I smiled. "Follow me." I quickly took hold of her hand and lead her to the councilor's office.

**Tifa's POV**

I felt my heart skip a beat as Cloud took my hand into his. He walked so fast through the halls that I could barely catch up with him. We finally stopped in a room by the main entrance. When we stepped inside, I saw two people in there: A woman, possibly a teacher, and Aerith. Aerith didn't turn around though, probably too busy with whatever she was talking about with the woman. I tried to listen to what they were saying. It has to be pretty important since it's Aerith.

"But Ms. Elmyra! They shouldn't be doing that! It's just wrong!," Aerith said loudly. I leaned in closer to get a better hearing on the conversation.

"Are you eavesdropping?," Cloud whispered, pulling me back.

I nodded. "It sounds important. Especially since Aerith's so against it."

"You're right," said Cloud, leaning in with me.

"Aerith, it's not _that_ bad. Besides, it helps students understand the process-"

"Ms. Elmyra. Please, just listen. Don't you think they're taking it too far? It's not only hurting them, it's hurting _me_."

Cloud and I leaned in further.

"Aerith, sweetheart, listen to me. They aren't even important-"

"Aren't important? I'm 100% sure that I wouldn't even be here if they weren't important! How could you even say that?"

Cloud and I leaned in even further.

"Aerith, please! Why are you making this such a big deal?"

"Because! All plants should receive the same amount of sunlight!"

_What the? Did she just say- Ugh... Waste of time.. _Cloud and I sighed, and leaned back.

"What a stupid argument.. If you're gonna argue, at least argue about something worth arguing about," whispered Cloud. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Excuse me, Ms. Elmyra," Cloud said, interrupting their conversation. Both Ms. Elmyra and Aerith turned to look at us. I quickly looked down, trying to avoid Aerith's gaze. But, I noticed she wasn't paying attention to me; She was more interested in Cloud. I saw her smile at Cloud. _I know that look.. I seriously know that look!_

Cloud tightened his grip on my hand, ignoring the sight of Aerith. "Do you have her schedule ready?," he asked.

Ms. Elmyra looked at me. "Uhmm.. What's her name and grade?," she asked, standing up and heading towards a computer. "Wait a minute, okay, Aerith?"

"Yes, Ms. Elmyra," replied Aerith.

Cloud pulled me towards Ms. Elmyra. "What grade are you in, honey?," she asked.

"9th," said Cloud, answering for me.

"And your na-"

"It's right there," interrupted Cloud, pointing to my name on the screen.

"Okay. Let me just print it out.." She went into the room next door and came back with a white piece of paper. "Here you go, sweetie," she said, handing me my schedule.

Before I even reached out to get it, Cloud took it out of her hands. "Thanks, Ms. E," said Cloud, walking out the door, and pulling me along.

"Have fun on your first day of school here!"

I was just about to say "Thank you", when Cloud pulled me out of the room. "Hey!," I yelled.

Cloud didn't stop; he just kept on walking while pulling me along. The halls seemed more packed with people than before. All eyes were on us as we went through the halls. We finally stopped though, at a room full of chairs. "Here," said Cloud. "This is your first hour class. There are six hours; therefore six classes, plus lunch." I nodded. "Uhmm.. There are three floors; first floor has rooms in the one-hundreds, second floor has the two-hundreds, and third one has the three-hundreds. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"If you get lost, just ask a teacher. Don't be shy." I nodded. "Be careful, Teef," he said, turning to leave. _What? Already?_

"Hey, wait!," I yelled.

"Yeah?," asked Cloud, turning around.

"Uhmm.. Uh..Where's the lunch room?"

He smiled. "Just follow the noise." And with that, he left.

I slowly turned around, and took a deep breath before walking into the classroom. As I walked in, someone pushed me from behind, and I fell flat on my face. I looked up, angry at whoever it was that pushed me. I suddenly froze as my gaze fell on the guy with the short, gray hair. I felt my heart beat faster, afraid of who it might be.

He smirked. "Why if it isn't my little show-off, Tifa."

_Damn it! How could he still remember me? _I started to push myself up with my arms until he slammed my head down with one hand. "I heard your parents died. Is it true?"

I glared at him. "What do you care?"

"Oh.. Still trying to act tough, are we?"

"You're one to talk. Now, get off!," I yelled, trying to move his hand.

"Listen.. Now that we've, you know, grown up, don't you think you should show me even an ounce of respect?"

I pushed his hand off and quickly got up. "Respect? I'll show you respect when you finally realize how much of a weak-ass you really are."

His smirk disappeared. "Why you-"

"Loz! Stop," said someone walking towards us.

I looked to see who it was. Kadaj. "Don't talk to her. She's a friiken orphan; that's all she'll ever be. She's gonna grow up, and find some rich guy to leech off of. Just like she's doing to Cloud." He stopped in front of me. "So, what did your mom teach you? How to pole dance? Or how to get rich men? How'd you get Cloud to notice you, Tifa? Did you pole dance for-"

"Shut up," I interrupted. I couldn't take it anymore. _Pole dancing? How dare they talk about my mom like that! They'll pay.. And besides, I'm not a gold-digger! They.. They just took me in. I had no choice. Or.. Were they right? Am I really a burden to them? _My eyes started to water.

"Don't tell me to shut up, you slut! Come on, Loz. We'll deal with her later," said Kadaj, walking away.

I looked away from them. I quickly wiped my tears off and found a seat in the back, nearest to the door. As I looked around, I saw everyone looking at me. "What?," I snapped, causing them to turn away. I felt bad for saying that, but I pushed that thought aside. Looking at my schedule, I found out that I'm in room 121, and it's choir class. I sighed. _Great. Choir. Whoopie!.. Whoopie cushion. _I laughed silently.

Just then, I heard some students saying that we've still got ten minutes before class started. As quietly as I could, I got out of my seat, and headed out the door. I tried to avoid everyone's eyes. It seemed that each person I passed, they all turned to look at me.

I walked around until I found a secluded spot on the ground by the bathrooms. I quickly sat down on the ground, pulling my knees to my chest. I leaned my head on my knees and started crying. I missed my mom.. I missed how she used to always play the piano for me whenever I was down. I took her for granted.."Tifa?"

I held my breath, hoping it wasn't Loz. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I slowly looked up to see who it was.. Cloud. The sight of him made me cry even more. Cloud gently brushed my tears away. "What happened?, he asked, a worried look on his face.

I tried to say something, but I felt like my throat was clogged. "Tifa.. Please say something." Cloud looked away for a moment, thinking. "..Was it Kadaj?" I nodded. "Tifa, whatever he said to you, it's not true. It's never true. Do you understand?"

"I.. I just miss my mom," I confessed. "Everyone I see has a mom. Everyone has a mom that buys them what they want. I guess.. It's really lucky to have a mom, right? To always be there.. Listen to you.. Buy what you want, even though you're broke. To always laugh with you.. I miss those moments.. I was so stupid that I never got the chance to love her back.. Only to cause her trouble. I guess I'll never have the chance.."

I started crying, again. "Tifa.. It'll be okay. I'm here with you," he said. Cloud slowly wrapped his arms around me. "We'll go through this together. Didn't I tell you that I'll take care of you? I meant it."

We stayed like that for a couple more minutes before Cloud stood up. "Come on."

"Huh?," I asked.

"I'm taking you to the nurse. You're gonna go sleep there. Got it?"

"Will they even let me?"

"Yeah. Depending on which nurse is there."

"Okay," I replied, getting up.

When we got to the nurses' office, Cloud asked the nurse to let me sleep until I got my rest. The nurse agreed, and told me to sleep on one of the beds by the wall. Cloud walked me over there and told me not to worry. Before he left though, I asked him if I was a burden to him. He asked me why I'd think that, which led me to telling him what happened after he left me. He seemed so quiet after I told him, but he just told me to sleep and not worry about anything. I guess I must've been pretty tired, 'cause I fell asleep right away.

x-x

When I woke up, it was 11:35, almost lunch time. The nurse told me to stay there until 11:40. When I heard the sound of people walking through the halls, I got out and followed them, just like Cloud told me to. I could tell that I was almost to the lunchroom when I smelled pizza. Just when I was about to turn to walk into the cafeteria, I heard someone yell, "Fight!"

I couldn't help but head towards the fight, along with many other students. I've always wanted to see one. But, when I got there, I just wanted it to stop. I saw Cloud punch Kadaj in the jaw, knocking him down. Loz came from behind Cloud and punched him, causing Cloud to fall on his knees. Loz stood right behind Cloud, towering over Cloud's body. He slowly reached down to grab Cloud's hair. _No.. No!_ _I didn't want this to happen! _"Cloud!," I screamed. Loz suddenly looked up towards my direction, giving Cloud enough time to grab his arm, and flip him onto the ground.

Cloud quickly got on top of him, and started punching his face, over and over again. Although I knew Cloud was doing this for me, I couldn't stand the sight of people getting hurt. I pushed my way through the crowd, and stopped right in front of him. As soon as I got there though, I noticed that Cloud's lip was bleeding. He also had a cut on his arm, his blood flowing down quickly; he had many bruises all over his body. I slowly walked up to him and lightly touched his shoulder. Cloud looked up at me, fear in his eyes. He quickly got up, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me through the crowd. "Hey!," I yelled. "Cloud!, What are you doing?"

I quickly pulled my arm away, causing Cloud to fall on his knees. I gasped. "Cloud.. I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" He groaned, and started rubbing his arm. I got down on my knees and touched his arm. "Cloud. Why'd you-"

"Come on," he said, getting up and, once again, pulling me along.

As we walked through the halls, I heard many teachers telling the students to go back to the cafeteria.

My heart was beating so fast, I felt like I was gonna have a heart attack. I wasn't sure what to feel right now. But, since Cloud was by my side, I didn't care what I felt. "Hey!", a voice called from behind us.

We both turned around, coming face-to-face with a guy who had short, blonde hair, dressed in a blue shirt and tan pants. "Cid,"said Cloud.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?," Cid asked.

"Out," Cloud replied, pulling me back and heading towards the doors.

"You fucken owe me, kid," I heard Cid say before we walked out the door.

"Cloud.. Where are we going?," I asked, concerned. He didn't say anything. He just kept on walking, but he never did let go of my hand. As soon as I saw the bridge, I knew where he was going.

x-x

Sitting on the bed, I tended to his wounds. He had many bandages and first-aid kits in his little house. We both didn't say anything as I started to take out some bandages. Too much has happened today. The awkward silence was too much for me. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I looked back down to continue to work on his wounds. "Don't." I looked up at Cloud, confused. "It's just.. I don't want to trouble you. It's my fault I'm hurt."

"Cloud.. You've always taken care of me and made sure that I was safe. Can't you trust me enough to take care of you?,"

"I've always trusted you. It was you who didn't trust me, remember?,"

I looked away from him. He was right; I was the one that couldn't trust.. Not him. But.. If you really think about it, I've always trusted him; right from the start. And.. I think I've been developing a.. A feeling that I shouldn't be having. Especially for Cloud. I shook my head, pushing away my thoughts. "Uhh.. Yeah,"

__

What the heck are we talking 'bout, again?

"I.. I think we've decided that I'm.. Still taking care of you.. Right?," I asked.

He sighed. "Alright.. But, be careful; You might get blind from the sight of my body."

I lightly punched his arm, making him flinch. "Shut up. Just because you're hurt, doesn't mean I won't hit you," I said, smiling.

I lifted my hands up to undo his tie. I tried not to shake or do anything that would make me seem nervous. After I took off the tie, I started to unbutton his dress shirt. It was hard not to stare, seriously. But, I just kept my cool and focused on what I had to do. _Wait.. Wa- Was that.. A six-pack? Oh my god.. Why is this so friiken complicated? What makes it even more complicated is that he's sweating! It's so.. Hot. _I quickly turned away to grab an.. Alcohol wipe. _Riiiiight.. Disinfect it first._

"You can look, you know. I was just kidding. You won't get blind.. Maybe just paralyzed," said Cloud, smirking. I opened the wrapping over the wipe and gently brushed it over the scratch on his arm. "Ow!"

"Sorry," I said, giving him an apologetic look.

"It's okay," he replied through gritted teeth.

"How'd you get scratches, by the way? Loz and Kadaj didn't have any sharp things with them, did they?," I asked, continuing to wipe at the scratch on his arm.

He groaned. "Yazoo.. had a.. pocket knife and.. cut me until I.. knocked him out."

"Why'd you do it? Why'd you get in a fight?,"

"Because they hurt you.. and made you cry. I couldn't-can't stand the sight of you being unhappy. If it was anybody else, I could care less. I did it for you; _only_ for you."

I smiled at his last words. As gently as I could, I wrapped a bandage around his arm. I could feel Cloud's eyes on me as I started bandaging the large gash on his side. "Do you like what you're seeing?," I asked.

"No doubt," he replied, almost automatically.

I quickly tied the ends in a knot and looked up at him. "Wait, what?,"

He smiled. "Honestly, ever since we met, you've always been on my mind. It's really nerve wrecking. It's like.. A really difficult math problem that can't solved. Or like watching an episode of CSI and not finishing it. Actually, no. It's not like any of that,"

I stared at him, confused. "Okay, look. Let me get straight to it. Tifa.. I.. I've- I think.. It's just..," I leaned forward to and nodded, waiting for an answer. "..I'm falling in love with you, Tifa Lockhart."

I totally just stared at him, not knowing what I was supposed to do. I was shocked.. Cloud looked right back at me. "Is it that bad? Am I.. Not good enough for you?,"

I quickly shook my head. "No no no no no no! I meant to- I mean- It's just.. Oh gosh, now I'm like you. Okay, uhmm.. I was just shocked. My dumb, idiot self was.. Dumbstruck. It's just.. I just recently found out that.. that.. that I'm.. slowly falling for you, too."

My eyes locked onto his. Cloud smiled. "Good. 'Cause I cried a crapload for you."

_Wait- what? _"I'm just kidding! See? You _are _gullible!," he said, getting up and grabbing his shirt.

He took my hand into his and pushed open the door. "Cloud! What're you doing?," I yelled.

He smiled. "Having some fun,"

****

Author's Note: _Okay.. Personally, I get annoyed when guys grab my wrist. It's just unnecessary. But, yeah. I think I rushed a bit.. Or a lot a bit! Lol. Haha.. I hope the short fight scene wasn't that bad.. Oh, what the heck! It was horrible! And I know that Cloud's so not really himself.. There's a reason he's that way. I'm not saying that he'll be that way throughout the whole story.. Or will he? Hmm.. Read on to find out! Please, please, please REVIEW! Thank you :) Lol._

-Gaorie :)


	4. Date Me?

**Chapter 4: Date Me?**

_**By: Gaorie :)**_

****

Author's Note:

**_Woww.. Tifa's kinda OOC in this story..Whatever. Thanks for all your reviews! I appreciate all of them cause then I know that people are still reading this story. Lol. I've changed the rating to 'T' cause of..well, just some more detailed things in this chapter, and possibly other chapters. Uhmm.. Well, yeah. On with the story! AHHHHHH!_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII.. **

**Tifa's POV**

I was so confused. We had practically told each other how we felt, and the next thing I knew, he pulled me out of the little house. Is this usual? I mean, I can still feel the hard pounding of my heart against my chest after 5 minutes straight. I looked at Cloud.. He looked really weird; Like happy weird. Or crazy. I leaned up further to try to make him look at me. He didn't. "Cloud..?," I asked.

"Hmm..?,"

"Why are you so weird?," I asked slowly.

He chuckled. "Shut up. We're almost there."

Almost where? I remembered Aerith.. The way she looked at Cloud. I bet she likes him. Oh my gosh! She always did say she liked two guys that she hung out with. Isn't liking two guys weird, though? "Don't you wanna talk?," I asked.

He kept on walking. "Nope."

"Well, I do. And since we are, I wanna ask you something," I said, walking faster to catch up to him.

"Shoot," he replied. I stared at him dumbfounded. _What the hell does that mean? _

I cleared my throat and asked him what was on my mind, "Do you..like Aerith?," He stopped abrubtly, and turned around, glaring at me. "What?," I asked innocently.

"Are you really asking me that?," I nodded, never looking away. "Of course I don't. She's a bi..eh..a weird person. She's just..kinda too controlling. Besides, I already told you that uhmm..you know..,"

I pretended that I didn't know what he was talking about and continued to stare up at him with confused eyes. "What do you mean?," I asked, holding in a smirk.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I like you..a lot."

I shivered as I felt his breath on my skin. "Ohh..," I replied, smiling.

"Anything you wanna tell me?," he asked, winking.

I just stood there staring at him. "Nope," I said, walking away. I tried to hide my smile. It was so fun joking around with him.

"That's okay. I never had feelings for you anyways," he said, walking away.

I gasped. "Cloud! Cloud, you loser!," He didn't turn around. "Loser! I'm leaving!," I yelled, walking towards his house. _That loser. How dare he.. No wonder he's all alone.. That emo freak.. Hmph. I don't care about him. Blahh.._

"Hey!," yelled Cloud from behind me. I ignored him and just kept on walking. "Teef! Tifa! Tifaaaa!," _Just keep walking, Teef..keep walking. _"Pablo! Hey, Pablo!," I stopped and turned around, my arms crossed. "Hey, you know your name," said Cloud, catching up to me.

I couldn't help but smile. "Shut up. That's not my name..,"

"Then why'd you stop and turn around?," he asked, smirking.

I sighed. "Because..Oh be quiet, Cloud. What were you intending to do anyways?,"

He leaned in and said," I was thinking about going to that boys' bathroom over there, and maybe do something fun..and pleasurable," he replied.

"Uhh..I don't think so," I said, pushing his face away.

He laughed. "Just kidding, Pablo. I know you were excited and everything, but I refuse your offer of taking advantage of me."

"Cloud, even if you did have a chance with me, I wouldn't do it in a boys' bathroom."

He chuckled. "Come on."

I let Cloud drag me, again, and kept quiet. We walked for another five minutes until we stopped in a secluded field. He dragged me right to the middle. "Stay here," he instructed.

"Where are you going?," I asked, whispering.

He smiled. "You'll see."

He then ran off somewhere. I just stood there and looked up at the sky. _Every star represents a promise.. Dad.. Where's our promise? _I wiped my tears from my cheeks. I waited..and waited..and waited until I had to play "I spy"..with myself. The game was..pretty lame:

_I spy something..green._

_'Grass.'_

_Okay.._

_'I spy something.. soft with roots.'_

_Grass. _

_'Yeah.'_

_I spy.._

_'Grass.'_

_Hey, I didn't even get to finish what I was gonna say. _

_'So? Was I right?' _

_..Yeah. _

_'Okay then. I sp-'_

_Grass. _

_'UGH!' _

By the time I finished the game, the sky had darkened. _Where's Cloud?_ Somewhere in the distance, I heard people talking. One sounded kinda like Cloud.

"..ditched her yet?,"

"Yeah. She went right into the trap!,"

Laughs were all I heard after that.

"Cloud?," I asked, looking around.

No answer.

My heart raced faster. _Would.. Would Cloud ever do that to me? He- he... But he said.. _My eyes filled up with tears. _I'm by myself now.. _My mind began racing with impossible thoughts. _What if a werewolf came and bit me? Would I die? Or would I become one, too? _I became more frantic and thought of the least possible things that would happen. Seriously. Not even kidding. _What if a headless body came running at me? Should I just stand there and scream my butt off? Or should I run and find help?_

I soon came to the conclusion that Cloud had left me here. That I was a burden to him. That I should never had trusted him. And that.. He never did like me. He must've planned this with his mom! That friiken Momma's Boy! _Maybe.. Maybe I trusted him too easily. I let him into my heart without even thinking of the consequences. It wasn't love at first sight; It was just needing a friend who I could trust wholeheartedly. _

My tears fell, running down my cheeks. I suddenly dropped down on my knees, my hands covering my face. "I hate you, Cloud.. I hate you!," I yelled.

Just then, I heard a click sound, and all of a sudden, I was getting sprayed with water. _Oh, sure.. Turning on the sprinklers would make it all better._

I didn't care if I was getting soaked. Maybe it'll hide the fact that I was crying for probably no reason at all. I was abandoned once, how much worse could the second time be? Oh, yeah.. The fact that I was there for like, three days makes it even better.

"Pablo?,"

I froze at the sound of his voice. "Pablo! What happened?,"

I didn't care for what he had to say. "Teef? Are you okay?,"

I felt him kneel down next to me. I lost control of my anger and pushed him, making him fall on his back. I got up and wiped my tears away.

"Tifa..," said Cloud, staring up at me.

"Since you want me to leave so much, I'll go! I won't get in your way anymore. If this was a way of telling me what you were gonna do with me, I get it now. I won't be a burden..," I said, walking away. But truth is.. I have no idea how to get back.

I felt Cloud grab my wrist. But, before I could pull away, he pulled me into an embrace. I tried to push away from him, but he held onto me tightly. "I..I'm sorry I left you for such a long time. I just wanted to make sure it would actually work."

I pulled away from him. "Okaaaay.. I'm confused. I heard you and some other guys talking over there," I said, pointing to where I had heard them.

He gave me a confused look. "What? That wasn't me. I went over to the controls of the sprinklers. I was trying to turn them on at the right moment. It didn't go as planned..," he explained.

"Well.. How long were you gone? I've waited pretty long for you,"

"Mhmmm.. About half an hour."

"What?," I asked, shocked.

"Well.. You see. When I got there, the control box was jammed. And I had to calculate everything according to..my plan. Then I saw Aerith walking by, and had to convince her to help me. Then, I-"

"Aerith was there?," I interrupted.

"Well, yeah. She was after school for Garden Club."

"Oh. How'd you convince her to help you?," I asked, trying to hide my jealousy.

"Oh. Heh.. Well, you know. Like how all the other guys get girls help," he replied.

"And that is..?,"

"Compromise!,"

"And..?,"

"I'. Okay! Let's go play in the sprinklers!," he explained, rather quickly. He reached for my hand, but I quickly took a step backwards.

I could feel my eyes filling with tears again. I turned my head away so he wouldn't see my tears. He took a step forward. I took a step back.

"Teef..," he started.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Cloud. But.. you're 'It'!," I said, tapping his shoulder and quickly running away.

I was always good at hiding my feelings.. I knew that because whenever my dad was stuck at work and couldn't come home, I would always paste a smile on my face and just laugh it off. Which was most of the time.

"You're gonna get it, Pablo!," he yelled after me.

I couldn't see very well cause of the water coming at my face at almost everywhere I turned. I squinted my eyes, trying to find Cloud. I looked everywhere..everywhere but befind me. I gasped and stayed perfectly still. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to turn around.

I pointed to a random direction. "Look!, A distraction!,"

I ran off as fast as I could. Looking back right after I ran, I saw Cloud look in the direction I was pointing to. I giggled. _That idiot.._

He suddenly looked in my direction, a look of revenge in his eyes. "You'll pay, Lockhart!,"

"For making you look dumb?," I teased.

"You're asking for it!," he yelled, running straight at me.

I stood right where I was, waiting for the right moment to make a dash for it. When he was about five feet away, I took a quick side-step to the right. He skidded to a stop, but he slipped and fell afterwards. I couldn't hold in my laughter. I burst out laughing so hard, I had tears in my eyes. _That's for asking Aerith on a date!_

When I had calmed down a bit, I noticed that Cloud wasn't getting up. "C-Cloud? Are..Are you okay?," I asked, worried.

I quickly ran to him. He was now in a sitting position, clutching his arm. He hissed, probably in pain. "Cloud? I'm so sorry.. Maybe you're not well enough to play tag."

His eyes looked up and mine. "Tifa.. I'm fine. Besides..," he smirked, "you're 'It'." He gently tapped my shoulder and ran away as fast as he could.

"Cloud! That's so unfair!," I yelled, stomping my foot.

He stook his tongue out at me. "You're _so _gonna get it!," I yelled, running to my right.

My plan was the same as his: catching them off-guard from behind. Of course mine was gonna actually work! His was an epic fail.. I giggled silently. When I was about ten feet behind him, I became 'Ninja' and walked towards him. I stopped right behind him, thinking my plan over. "Tifa..,"

I looked up at Cloud, only to see the back of his head. I opened my mouth to say something, but maybe he was still trying to find me. I reached up, going to tap his shoulder. The next thing I knew, Cloud had his hands around my waist, spinning me in circles. "Cloud!," I gasped, surprised at his speed.

He chuckled. "You're not wet enough..,"

"What? What are _you _talking 'bout? I'm soaked!,"

"Well then, let's get even wetter!," he said, putting one arm under my waist and the other under the bend of my legs. He lifted me up off my feet, heading towards a sprinkler.

"NOOOO! No, Cloud! Please!," I yelled, kicking my legs up and down.

"Is it strange that this is a total turn-on for me?," he asked, eyeing me.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. He had that intense look in his eyes again.. Oh, gosh. His eyes are so pretty..

"You know what you should do?," he asked, breaking the silence.

"What?,"

"You should go stand right in front of a sprinkler, and let the water spray up your skirt."

I looked at him, appalled. "Wha..? Huh?," He smirked. "You're disgusting, Cloud."

"Thank you," he replied, putting me down.

"That wasn't a compliment, ya know?," I asked, fixing my skirt.

"It was to me."

I rolled my eyes. I turned to look at the sky; It was dark enough to see all the stars. Suddenly, I felt my wrist being pulled forward, along with the rest of my body. I came face-to-face with Cloud. My eyes widened and, I swear, my heart skipped a beat or two. I don't think I've been this close to him before. The closest I've been with him was probably when we were dancing together.

I gulped. He smirked at my nervousness. I notice him tilt his head a bit, his face coming closer to mine. I move my head back. This was actually his first time trying to kiss me. If I let him kiss me, it'll be my first kiss. Maybe..I should just let him. I've always wondered what it would feel like.

He came closer. Again, I move my head back. He doesn't retreat, though. I can tell he wants this.. In my heart, I know I want it, too. This time, he leans in even farther. I stay put. I guess he took this as my approval. He leans in, and I can already feel his breath against my lips. I'll let him.. He hasn't done anything..bad.

_'I''_

_Aerith.. _I can't take this anymore! Our lips almost brushed against each other until I moved my head back, grabbed his head with both my hands and...slammed my head against his.

"Oww!," Cloud yelled in pain.

I smirked. "That's what you get for 'compromising'."

I turned around and headed home..or at least the way I remember coming from. _Hey! There's the tree that looks like that one tree in the Wizard of Oz! The first tree that threw apples at Dorothy! _I smiled a little. _I wonder what Cloud's lips taste like.. _I shake my head. Stupid hormones..

I turned back to see Cloud still rubbing his forehead. I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Cloud.. Can't take a hit?," I teased.

He looked up at me. "I thought you didn't care about it?,"

_The Aerith thing.. _"I..Well how would _you_ feel if I went on a date with Sack?," I asked.

He stood dumbfounded. "...Zack."

"You know what I mean," I said, mentally beating myself up for my stupidity.

"You don't even know him, so why would you?," he asked, walking to me.

"Well..What if when I see him, we instantly fall in love?,"

"Like..Love at first sight?," he asked, stopping next to me.

"Yeah.. Like that," I anwered, walking off again.

He walked next to me. "That's impossible. There's no such thing."

I glared at him. "Yes, there is."

He glared right back at me. "No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is!," I yelled in his face.

He closed the gap between us. "Prove it," he dared, his voice low and dark.

I bit my lip. Then, I saw that look in his eyes. That playful look, hidden by all the seriousness. "You're joking with me..," I said.

He smirked. "You saw right through it."

I walked away towards the Wizard of Oz tree with a smile on my face. I quickly stopped, realizing that, passed that tree, I didn't know the directions to take to get home.

I turned around, "Come on, slow poke! I don't know the rest of the way back!,"

I turned back around and started walking again. I gasped, feeling Cloud's arms grab me around my waist. He gave me a peck on my cheek, and walked away, holding my hand. I touched my cheek with my free hand, smiling all the way back home.

x-x

Cloud silently opened the door of his..or our house. We tiptoed up the stairs and headed to our rooms. "Where have you been all day?," someone asked from behind us.

We both turned around and saw Cloud's mother. "Mom?," asked Cloud. "I thought you were going to-"

"Well, I was," his mom interrupted, in a rather harsh voice. "but then, I thought that maybe I should bring my son with me to see what his future held for him. And I come home to him, dripping wet, and...," she glared at me. "holding hands with the orphan girl? Is there something going on that I should know about?,"

I matched her glare with my own. I then rolled my eyes and sighed, crossing my arms. "If you want to know what we were doing, I'll _show _you."

I turned to face Cloud, staring at him. He looked at me with confused eyes. I suddenly leaned in, and kissed him. It wasn't even just a quick peck on the lips. It was one of those wet, sloppy kisses. I don't even know how long we've been making out. All I remember was some lip sucking, tugging, licking..and maybe even some moans every now and then. When I finally ran out of breath, I pulled away. I licked my lips in pleasure.

I smiled at Cloud. I was so relieved to see him returning my smile. I looked back at Cloud's mother. She had gone speechless; her mouth hanging open.

"Good night, Miss," I said, sweetly.

I turned back to look at Cloud. "Good night, Cloud. Let's do it again soon."

And with that, I walked away with my head held high. Ooookay. So maybe that was what I wanted to happen. But, it's _her_ house! Want me to be homeless, again? You know what? Don't answer that. This is what actually happened:

I struggled so hard not to say anything repulsive or rude to her comment about me. I bit my lip so hard, I swear I could taste blood. I even looked down cause I had the strongest urge to glare right back at her. If his mom was this..mean, I wonder what his dad is like.

Cloud tightened his grip on my hand. "I got in a fight today..," he confessed, turning away from his mom's glare.

Her face changed from Maleficent to a concerned mother. "What?,"

"They made fun of me..about dad dying. I-I couldn't hold in my anger anymore and threw a punch. I'm sorry," he explained, looking down.

I was shocked. His dad..is gone; dead. _Wh-Why didn't he tell me? If..his dad had just recently died, how come he's so happy and playful all the time? _Then, it struck me; he could let go of things much faster than me. He stayed strong, to help me with my loss. I looked down at the necklace he gave me.

_'My dad used to wear it all the time. He said that it helped him through all the hard times he's been through. And.. Well, you're going through such a hard time. I think maybe.. You could use it.'_

I tried to take my hand away from his, but he wouldn't let go. "Cloud..," I whispered.

"I need you," he replied, whispering.

His mom walked towards us. I pulled my hand out of his quickly enough before his mother reached us. I accidently looked up at her and saw her _glaring _at me. "Uhh.. Good night, Miss."

"Good night...Cloud," I said, walking away towards my room.

x-x

I sat in the limosine silently. Me and Cloud haven't talked at all since last night's encounter with his mother. I look at him, though. In his backpack, I know that he's got his date clothes to change into after school. I saw him stuffing it in there when I came down to eat breakfast. I look away, my eyes tearing up. I know he wouldn't try anything on Aerith, it's just.. I know how Aerith is. She's not shy about flirting, and she's very outgoing. I guess I just feel kinda threatened.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to look at Cloud(I mean..who else could it be?). He looked worried.

"Yeah?," I asked softly.

He smiled. "I'm sorry about last night. My mother was just worried," he explained.

I shook my head. "It's okay. I..wanted to ask you something,"

He raised his eyebrows. "Hm?,"

I gulped. "The necklace you gave me..can I give it back?,"

At first he didn't say anything. Then he gave out a light chuckle. "If you remember correctly, I told you to hang onto it for me. Besides..it looks nice on you."

I felt myself blush. "Okay.. So, uhmm.. Where are you taking Aerith?,"

"I.. Possibly the town mall."

I looked at him, disappointed. "That's..cute. Shouldn't you go somewhere romantic, like the beach or something?,"

He gave me an annoyed look. "Are you _trying _to make me feel bad?,"

I gave him an innocent look. "Whatever do you mean?,"

He chuckled. "Look, I know you're jealous..but Aerith didn't give me a choice."

I looked up at him. "What do you mean?,"

He sighed. "She threatened me with pictures of me and Zack...molesting kids."

"Oh, no wond-WHAT?," I said, nearly shouting.

He started laughing. "Sorry. Just a joke. The object of the threat was a picture of me..covered in make-up."

I burst out laughing, my eyes about to tear up. I noticed Cloud's cold glare and abruptly stopped. "H-how'd they get you to wear make-up?,"

He sighed. "Yuffie slipped some kind of sleeping drug in my orange juice. To be honest, it made the drink taste better."

I noticed we had reached school and opened the door. "You fall into traps too easily."

I shut the door closed and walked to the school. "Hey! I want you to meet Zack!," yelled Cloud from behind me.

I turned around and smiled. "Still need proof for 'Love at First Sight'?,"

He glared at me. "You wouldn't dare."

I leaned into him, our faces just inches apart. "Try me."

He smirked. "If I win, you're going on a date with me."

I leaned back, surprised at his challenge. Should I take it? But..wouldn't I be cheating on mine and Aerith's friendship? I sighed. "What do I get if I win?,"

"...I'll be your slave for a day."

I smiled. "Deal."

He returned my smile and held out his hand. I shyly took it and, instead of him dragging me along, I walked next to him. We walked passed the school, to the football field. When we got there, I spotted Aerith right away. She was in our school uniform, although she had forgotten to button her undershirt all the way, and was showing quite a bit of cleavage. Yuffie was standing next to her, dressed more appropriately, and talking non-stop, as always.

I felt Cloud wave at someone, and turned to see who it was. I didn't recognize him, but I knew it was Zack. His hair was dark blue and very spiky. His eyes were blue; similar to Clouds', but it didn't glow as much as Clouds' did. And, he was very, very tall. Now that I think about it, Cloud is pretty short for a guy. "Hi."

I turned towards the voice and saw Aerith, her arms wrapped around Clouds'. I instantly pulled my hand out of Clouds'. "H-Hi," I replied.

"TIFAAAAAAAAAA!,"

I turned and saw Yuffie running towards me, her arms flailing in the air. Oh no.. Don't tell me she's- "Yuffie, Noooooo!,"

I put my arms out in front of me, preparing to get knocked down. "Whoa.. Slow down there, Yuff."

I opened my eyes. _Oh thank, God! Cloud actually..- ZACK? _I stood dumbfounded, staring at Zack..AND YUFFIE!..kinda.

"Zack! I can't believe you ditched me last night! You said there were materia at the carnival! YOU LIAR! YOU'RE SO GONNA DIE! I'M A PRINCESS! A PRINCESS!,"

"What kind of princess can't even wear high-heels?,"

"You bastard! How 'bout I shove my shoe up your-"

"Heeeeey, Yuffie," I said, interrupting their conversation.

She turned to look at me. "Oh, hi, Tifa. Just..taking care of some business..es."

I glanced at Zack. He was looking at me. "Hi. I'm Zack!," he said, rather cheerful.

I blushed. "Tifa. Nice to meet you."

"Tifa.. Tifa.. I've heard that before..," he said, tapping his chin. His eyes landed on Cloud, who I swear has been watching me this whole time. He pounded his fist against his hand. "I got it! You're Cloud's Tifa!,"

Just as I was about to look at Cloud, a girl with a very, very low-cut shirt, fell and flashed everyone. I looked away as soon as I..yeah. Cloud grabbed me and pulled me into an embrace, leaving Aerith standing alone. I felt myself blush furiously, since it was right in front of everybody. Although they might've been busy enjoying the..other sight. "You okay?," he asked.

I nodded. "Luckily, Zack was there."

__

"Boobies, they're just two round rills.

Boobies, watch out before they spill,"

sang Zack, skipping around us.

"Hey! That's offensive!," yelled Aerith.

"Oh..right. _Penis, it's just a long, hard stick-"_

"ZACK!," we all yelled in unison.

"I'll take you to class," said Cloud, dragging me back to school.

"Cloud, I'm..gonna go. Might be late for first hour," said Aerith, dragging Yuffie along.

He nodded. "Cloud!," yelled Zack. "Go walk Aerith to class. I'll take Tifa."

"But-," started Cloud.

"No. You're taking her on a date, so go woo her."

Cloud glared at Zack. "Fine," he said, gritting his teeth.

I looked at Zack. _Does he like me?_ He smiled and walked over to me.

"Hey.. Sorry I did that. I just wanted to ask you something."

My eyes locked with his. "What is it?,"

"I was wondering if you'd like to help me with my scheme."

"Scheme? Oh, you mean plan!," I said.

"Nooo.. Scheme! _Scheme sounds more **evil**_," he stated.

"Riiiight. Okay, I'm in. So what's your scheme?," I asked.

He smirked, evilly. "Perfect."


	5. Messin' It Up

**Chapter 5: Messin' it Up**

_BY THE ONE AND ONLY:_

_CSluvGCY_

_(Used to be Gaorie)_

**Author's Note: **_Okay.. Hi. Thank you so, so much!, _**Midnight Sakura Angel**_, for telling me my HUGE mistake in chapter 4. -online highfive- I suggest listening to the songs below. Here's the next chapter:_

"Are you sure we should be doing this?," I asked.

"Of course! Now get back down here. Bend down lower. I don't want anyone seeing us," replied Zack.

I sighed and crouched behind the plant that me and Zack had been hiding behind for about 10 minutes. I wasn't sure why I had agreed to his evil scheme. But, of course I'd probably be at home, crying my eyes out if I hadn't agreed to this. Zack's scheme was obvious: to mess up Cloud and Aerith's date. I couldn't resist it. He's..very persuasive. Turns out, he likes Aerith. And this is just payback for making us..hurt. So..technically, we're on the same side.

I had changed to black, 'cause Zack said we had to 'Be Ninja', and that I couldn't be a real ninja if I wasn't wearing black. He watches too much tv. So, now, I'm in a black top, black capris, and..MY NEW BLACK CONVERSE! I even had to get a black watch. All paid by Zack the Generous.

Cloud and Aerith were eating at Shera's Cafe, about 15 feet across from us. We've been keeping a close watch on them. So far, Cloud's been a perfect gentleman..and Aerith hasn't been all over him. They had ordered hot mushroom soup for a start. Then, spaghetti and meatballs for the finish. I smirked. Perfect. "Ready?,"asked Zack, breaking my thoughts.

I nodded.

"Okay, so remember: Spice, Spy, Spill, Steal. Quadruple S for short. Got it?," he asked, handing me one of those microphone things.

"Yeah."

"Wait for my signal. Oh! And it's channel seven," he said.

I nodded and watched him walk towards Shera's Cafe. He quickly walked passed Cloud and Aerith, sticking something under the table on the way. They didn't see him. Phew. I immediately put the microphone thing on and put it on channel seven. I looked back at Zack. He pushed open the 'Employees Only' door and said, "I'm here!,"

..What? I thought he was supposed to _sneak _in there, not make a show!

Zack didn't turn his microphone on yet. I couldn't hear them, so I had to read their lips. "It's your day off, Zack," a lady said.

Zack shook his head and said, "Let me just make _one_ thing."

The lady shrugged her shoulders. "You're not getting paid over-time."

Zack nodded. "Oh! Is that the _hot mushroom soup_ that I oh so love to make?," he asked, walking towards the couple empty bowls by the pot of hot mushroom soup.

Nice acting, Zack. It doesn't seem suspicious. **At all**, I thought.

I watched him scoop up some of the soup into two bowls. He turned slightly, and looked around, making sure nobody saw him. He then turned around and slipped something in the bowls. After that, he put the bowls on a tray and placed it on a counter. I think it's cute how Zack is always so immature, but when he's serious..he's _**serious**_.

He then hit the bell on the counter and yelled, "Order for table seven!,"

Some guy then came and grabbed it, heading towards Cloud and Aerith's table. I glanced back at Zack, who was giving me a thumbs-up, meaning he completed our first task. I nodded in response. Turning my gaze back to Cloud and Aerith, I saw the waiter placing the bowls on their table. "Red-eyes Black Dragon. Calling Red-eyes Black Dragon. This is Blue-eyes White Dragon. Do you hear me? Over,"

I turned around. No one. "Wh-who's there?," I asked.

"Me, dumbass. The guy who came up with this evil-but awesome-scheme. Over,"

Ohh.. it's Zack. Duh.

"Sorry. I was thinking about something," I replied.

"Okay. I stuck one of those little microphone things under their table, so we can hear their conversation. They won't hear us, so we can still talk, 'kay? Over,"

"Yeah."

"Say 'over' when you're done talking. Over."

"Okay."

"Tifa! Over.,"

"Oh! I mean, roger that Blue-eyes White Dragon. Er..Over."

I turned back around and focused on Cloud and Aerith. They were stirring their soups and blowing in them to make it cooler. I felt a stab in my heart when Cloud and Aerith stopped what they were doing and just stared at each other. Maybe I shouldn't be intruding.., I thought.

"You..you look..pink," said Cloud, making me giggle.

"Thanks. So, uhm..what's with you and Tifa? I mean, you guys aren't serious or anything, right?," Aerith asked.

"We're..close. We're kinda together, but not really..," explained Cloud.

"I don't get it," replied Aerith.

"I don't blame her. Over," commented Zack.

"I like her..she likes me.. It's just, I haven't really..,"

Aerith sipped her soup."Asked her? You know, you don't..H-H-HOT! WATER! WATER!,"

I couldn't help but laugh. Aerith's face was now as red as a cherry, and she was running around looking for water.. I heard Zack chuckle on the other line. "It's funny now. Later on, we'll feel so bad for doing this. But, it's just so damn funny! ..Over,"

When Aerith finally got her water and was back to Aerith-normal, they finally sat back down at their table. Let's see.. It was Spice, Spy, Spill, Steal. Spill is next. Better be Cloud this time, I thought.

I saw the waiter carrying their bowls of spaghetti. Was that.. Zack? He's wearing that mustache from that dollar store we passed by! And did he use my eyeliner? And..what did he do to his hair? It's tied in a ponytail! Daaaang..he must be serious. He walked over to their table and..spilled it all over Clouds' clothes. Yess!, I thought.

"Oh! Imma so sorry-ah, sir! Please. Let me-ah, help you with this-ah, mess..ah," said Zack, in a pretty terrible Italian accent.

"Ahh, shit! Dude! What is the matter with you? Are you blind?," yelled Cloud.

"Let me-ah, help..ah."

"Not interested," said Cloud, storming towards the boys' bathroom.

I laughed so hard, my stomach started hurting. I did, of course, feel bad for Cloud. "Blue-eyes, I think maybe you should've let it cool down first. Over."

"You are so right, Red-eyes. Over," replied Zack, walking back to the counters. "Oh. And Steal is now complete. Got his wallet when it fell out of his pockets. You know you love me. Over."

"Tifa?,"

"What, Zack? I thought our names were Red-eyes Black Dragon and Blue-eyes White Dragon? You know..from Yu-gi-oh? The-"

"What..are you talking 'bout Red-eyes?,"

"What d'you mean wha-," I froze.

"Tifa? What..what are you doing here?,"

Oh shit. I am so dead. How did Cloud know that I would be stalki-I mean watching him while he was on a date with Aerith? He's smarter than I thought, that Loser. I took a deep breath, slowly turned around and saw..

"Yuffie?,"

Her eyes lit up as I said her name. "Teefy! I missed you so much after you left!," she said, hugging the life out of me. "All Aerith wanted to do was play with her stupid flowers! She even yelled at me for just picking off a petal!,"

I stayed quiet, trying to hear if either Cloud or Aerith had heard her.

"Aaaaanyways, what cha doin' here? Oh!, did you know that Cloud and Aerith's date is here, too? Heh..what a coincidence, right?," she asked, obviously clueless.

"Heh..yeah. Huge coincidence.. I didn't know know they were coming _here_," I lied.

"Pfft..b.s.," Zack commented, from our microphones.

"Shut up," I whispered to Zack.

"Are you here with someone? And..why are you dressed in all black? Are you emo now?," Yuffie asked suspiciously.

"Wha..no! No! I'm..I-I'm-,"

"She's with me." I turned towards the voice, spotting Zack walking to us in determination.

"You-you guys are together?," she asked, looking at me.

"Yup!," replied Zack, throwing an arm around my shoulders. I forced a smile, trying to make it as realistic as it could be.

Yuffie sighed. "I can't believe you guys are together! I mean..now I'm alone! Maybe you guys shouldn't be together."

"Who shouldn't be together?," I felt Zack freeze next to me. That voice..it couldn't be-

"Cloud? Where's Aerith? Did you leave her again? Ugh!," yelled Yuffie, walking towards the cafe.

Cloud's eyes stayed on me. I felt my heart beat abnormally faster. Thumpthumpthumpthump..thump, and repeat. I gulped. I am so dead..

"Cloud..hey," said Zack, removing his arm from my shoulder, "we were just about ta leave, so..bye!," Zack grabbed my wrist and started to run, dragging me behind him.

Cloud grabbed my other wrist as we were passing him. "Cloud!," I gasped, nearly shrieking.

"Are you guys..really dating?," he asked.

I felt my heart sink. I looked at Zack for help, but he seemed as lost as I was. Looking back at Cloud, all I could do was to give him a hurtful look (meaning 'yes, I'm sorry' if you're wondering). "Cloud..,"

All of us turned towards the voice; There stood Aerith, looking as beautiful as ever, Yuffie stood behind her. I think she took off that sweater of hers because now I could see her deeply cut clevage. I looked at Cloud and saw staring at her..stupid clevage. That bastard.

I yanked my wrist out of his grip and walked the two steps towards Zack. I gave him a look saying, 'Look at what your girlfriend's doing.' He smiled and leaned down saying, "Wanna make Cloud jealous?,"

My eyes widened in excitement. A mischievious smile grew on my face, much similar to Zack's, and I nodded happily. Zack looked over my head and winked. I turned to look back at them to see who Zack winked at. Cloud had his eyes on me now, that bastard. Just kidding! I guess I can excuse that since Zack and I spilled spaghetti on him. I looked at the orange stain on his shirt. Is he wearing silk? Or whatever rich people wear nowadays? My eyes drifted away and met Aerith's green, innocent eyes. She looked sad, guilty, mad and confused. I know I shouldn't be interfering with whatever might happen between Cloud and Aerith, it's just that Cloud's the only one I really trust right now. Maybe I should back off just a little bit..I mean, I still have Zack..

I turned to look at Zack as I was talking to myself about him in my head. Right when I had turned to look at him, he leaned down and kissed me. My eyes went big in shock, but all I could think of was..why is he kissing my chin? I stood there like a total idiot, registering what was happening. When he finally pulled back, he whispered,"Go get 'em, Pablo."

He stepped back, giving me a full view of the audience. Yuffie was gawking, literally! A cat could fit in her mouth. Aerith looked somewhat lost, and Cloud..was Cloud. He had looked the other way. My heart cracked just a little. I felt so guilty that I soon realized that I had walked right to him, well, more like ran. "Cl-,"

"Congratulations! You are the 100th couple..sss!," yelled a guy dressed formally,"please claim your prize!,"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I was too confused to reply to what he said. "What did we win?," asked Cloud, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"That karaoke room in the corner right there. Bring your friends and family!," he stepped closer to us and said rudely,"here's the keys. Use 'em..whenever. I don't give a crap."

"Well, rawr to you, too," said Yuffie, making me jump.

"Let's go, Cloud! It sounds fun!," Aerith squealed, wrapping her arm around Cloud's.

Moving Cloud's hold on my waist, I started to walk towards Zack when Cloud grabbed my wrist and said,"You comin'?,"

I looked at Zack for help. He had his arms crossed and had a silly grin on his face. "Yeah, we're up for it."

Looking back, Yuffie had taken the keys from Cloud and ran to open the door. I smiled, hooking arms with both Aerith and Cloud, and dragged them to the karaoke room. It was..smaller than I expected. Every color of the rainbow was in this room. It was like a clown's heaven, minus the pies and mini cars. I dragged them toward the seats, sat them down, and walked over to the karaoke machine before Yuffie broke it. I put a hand on her shoulder, and moved in front of her to pick a song. "Who wants to go first?," I yelled, still trying to figure out the machine.

I pressed a button and 'BOOM!' popped out on the screen. "Damn..," I whispered. I pressed a green button that read 'WINNER' and on the screen popped out the word 'LOSER!'. "Stupid machine! _Wooooooork!_," I whined, stamping me feet in annoyance.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around with my annoyed and mad face. "I'll go first, Teef," said Zack. And then he winked at me.

I went back to sit between Yuffie and Aerith, Cloud sitting on Aerith's other side. I leaned forward to meet Cloud's eyes. Just as our eyes met, the lights started to dim, and Aerith grabbed hold of my arm, squealing. "I'm so excited, Teefy! I just adore singing," she said, clasping her hands together.

"Hope you don't make my ears bleed, Aer," teased Cloud.

Aerith lightly pushed his shoulder and said, "You're terrible, Cloud Strife!,"

We all started laughing and after a moment, I just stayed smiling. I stayed smiling because I had met Cloud's shiny, irresistable, blue eyes. And, it was like, I was alone with only him. I could feel his warmth creep up on me, and embrace me until the spell was over. And it didn't last very long. Aerith had brought her lips up to kiss his cheek. I don't know why, but the second I saw Cloud's eyes close at Aerith's touch, I felt..nothing. I simply turned to Yuffie, shrugged, and yelled out,"Zack! Stop being such a diva and-,"

The sound of a piano started playing. Out walked Zack in a black vested tux, a black tie, a white dress shirt, black slacks, a black hat, and his black shoes. Hmm..how original. He looked over at Aerith, who just pulled back from kissing Cloud on his cheek, and had this sad look on his face. He walked forward and started singing:

_(Wedding Dress by Taeyang)_

_Some say it's not over 'till it's over  
Guess this is really over now  
There's something I gotta say before I let you go  
Listen_

Walking over to me, he went on his knees.

_When you have a fight with him  
Sometimes you cry  
And feel sad and blue  
I become hopeful  
My heart a~a~aches secretly_

He looked up at me with hopeful eyes.

_Then just a hint of your smile  
Can make feel fine again  
To keep you from figuring out how I feel about you  
Coz then we would drift apart_

He got up and took a few steps back.

_I hold my breath, bite my lips  
Oh, please leave him and come to me_

He had pointed at Cloud, and then at himself. Backing away quickly, he put his mike on its stand, preparing for the chorus:

_Baby, please don't take his hand  
Coz you should be my lady  
I've been waiting for you for so long  
Please look at me now_

When the music starts  
You will vow to spend  
The rest of your life with him  
How I prayed every night  
This day would never come

The wedding dress you're wearing  
It's not me (next to you)  
Oh, the wedding dress you're wearing, oh, no

He looked at Aerith with lost eyes.

_You never knew how I felt about you  
And I hated you so  
Sometimes I wished you would be unhappy_

Now I have no more t~t~tears left to cry  
When I'm by myself I talk to you like you're here  
I've felt so restless every night  
Maybe I've known all along this would happen  
I close my eyes and dream an endless dream  
Please leave him and come to me

_Baby, don't take his hand when he comes to you  
Coz you should be my lady  
I've been waiting for you for so long  
Look at me now_Part of the Wedding Song played for the next 10-20 seconds. Zack had his face turned away as if humiliated.

When the music starts  
You will vow to spend  
The rest of your life with him  
How I prayed every night  
This day would never come

The wedding dress you're wearing  
It's not me (next to you)  
Oh, the wedding dress you're wearing, oh, no

_Please be happy with him  
So that I can forget you  
Please forget how miserable I looked  
It's going to be unbearably hard for me  
For a long while to come  
When the music starts  
You will vow to spend  
The rest of your life with him  
How I prayed every night  
This day would never come_

The wedding dress you're wearing  
It's not me (next to you) (Should've been me)  
Oh, the wedding dress you're wearing, (Should've been me~yeah) oh, no

Turning around cooly, he walked off the small stage. I was..shocked. Does Aerith know he was singing it to her? "Woo-hoo! Go Zack! That was really good!," Aerith yelled, clapping.

Dense, this one. If not, stupid..

Zack smiled and walked towards me, handing me the mike. I smiled at him and shook my head, whispering,"You were really good." He gave me a thumbs-up and handed the mike to Aerith.

"W-wait! What happened?," asked Yuffie, waking up.

"You fell asleep?," we all yelled.

"I-I didn't mean to, I swear. It's just..the sound of a piano reminds me of Tifa's..," she looked at me, choosing her words carefully,"o-of Tifa playing me to sleep whenever I slept over and couldn't sleep. Yeah..,"

Zack hesitated at first, then spoke. "You're lucky Tifa put me in a good mood today."

I smiled up at him. I jumped when I felt an arm snake its way to my waist. I turned to look at Cloud. He scooted himself closer, our shoulders touching. "Soo.. how's it going?,"

"Fine, I guess.. You seem to be enjoying yourself," I said, referring to Aerith.

He blushed lightly, but looked at me with serious eyes. "I..I used to like Aerith."

I felt a stab in my heart. Has he..fallen for her again then? I gulped and gave him an encouraging smile. "And now?,"

He looked at me then abruptly turned away. "Don't look at me like that!,"

"Huh?," I asked. "It's okay, Cloud.."

"No, it's not," he looked at my lips,"did Zack really kiss you?,"

My hands automatically went up to touch my lips. Oh. My. God. Cloud is actually admitting that he's jealous. Haha! I smiled shyly. Looking up, I see Cloud staring at me with sad eyes. I wave my hands out in front of me. "No no no no no! I..it was just a..a friendly gesture."

"A..friendly gesture?,"

"Yeah! I mean-,"

"Is this a friendly gesture then?," He suddenly had me pinned between the couch and him, his hands on either side of me. He hovered above me, as if expecting for me to try and break away.

I looked at his lips, then met his eyes. "Are you saying..that-,"

"Aerith's kiss was a friendly gesture."

"Huh?," I asked.

"You heard me." He turned to face the stage.

I smiled at him. He's such a dork..

The music started playing and I turned to look at Aerith onstage. She gave me a small smile and started singing:

_(Take Care of My Boyfriend by Younha)_

_When the first snow came  
We promised that we're going to walk together on this street, but now it's an empty street_

She looked at Zack, giving him one of her innocent looks. Everyone falls for it, not even kidding. I fall for it all the time.

_I'm holding our small rings and our messy memories  
What's wrong?  
What hates me?_

She turned her attention to Cloud. Her eyes were shining, filling up with tears. But I know Aerith. She's stronger than she looks. She won't cry now. Not now..

_I can't think about it  
You may like her because she's better than me  
Please tell me you are sorry or miss me_

_Even you are not going back to me  
You look happy with her so I'll back you off one step  
I don't make you smile so it's useless holding you  
I'm not the one that makes your heart beat  
Please tell me you are sorry or miss me_

Closing her eyes, she swayed back and forth with the music. She's never looked so at peace. Did I make it sound like she just died or something..?

_Even you are not going back to me  
You look happy with her so I'll back you off one step  
It's not so true isn't it?  
I know everything, I was so scared  
But I denied it_

_I'm sorry, you may hurt too  
I don't wanna see you even by accident but you two are so good together  
I'm alright_

She opened her eyes and looked from Zack, to me, to Cloud. Does she think me and Zack have a thing? Ugh.. Not again! Why does everybody think that?

_Even you are not mine I will keep an eye on you  
I won't forget you so fast because I'm such a slow woman_

She gave me a helpless look. She looked so lost and confused. Maybe I should back off of Cloud. Or is it Zack she's after? I shrugged.

Cloud looked at me, confused. I looked back at him. "What?,"

"Why'd you just shrug?," he asked.

I fake a laugh, thinking about an explanation when Aerith came and handed me the mike. I shake my head and look at Yuffie, trying to give Aerith a clue. Yuffie snatched the mike out of Aerith's hand and ran off. "Don't worry! I won't pick a depressing song!,"

Aerith and I shared looks, quickly walking to the couch farther away from Zack and Cloud. "Oh my gosh, Tifa! You _have_ to tell me about you and Cloud! He's told me so much about you, even though I already know you. He's such a sweet guy..," Aerith trailed off, then looked at me a second later. "You're so lucky, Teefy."

"Heh..yeah. So, umm..I heard you and Zack are, you know..?"

Her eyes widened a bit and a small blush formed on her cheeks. "N-no! Of course not! We just-have a past together."

"Hmm."

I saw light flash, Yuffie standing in the spotlight in yellow shorts and a white long sleeve. Oh. My. God. Do not tell me she's.. I hear the familiar sound of music playing. I think my brain just froze.

_(Gee by SNSD aka Girls' Generation)_

_Uh-huh! Listen Boy! My First Love Story (ooh woahh ooh woahh yeah~)  
My Angel and My Girls  
My sunshine  
Oh! Oh! Let's go!_

You're so so handsome  
My eyes my eyes are blinded  
I can't breathe because I'm trembling

Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby  
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby

She knows the dance.. Hmm. Interesting.. I never knew she liked dancing, I said in my head.

_Oh I feel so embarrassed  
I can't look at you  
I feel shy because I've fallen in love_

Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby  
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby

What should I do? (What should I do~) About my trembling heart (My trembling heart)

(Thump thump thump thump) My heart kept thumping  
So I couldn't fall asleep at night

I guess I guess I'm a fool  
A fool that knows you, only you  
Yes, as I look at you~~

So bright so bright My eyes are blinded no no no no no  
So surprised surprised I'm shocked oh oh oh oh oh  
So tingly tingly my body is trembling gee gee gee gee gee  
Oh glittering eyes (oh yeah~) Oh sweet aroma (oh yeah yeah yeah~)

She shook her hips a little too hard right there, I thought.

_Oh so so pretty  
Your heart is so pretty  
I was captured from first glance, caught so closely_

Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby  
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby

I can't touch it because it's so hot  
I'm engulfed by love's fire completely

Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby  
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby

What should I do (What should I do) because I'm so shy  
(No no no no no) I don't know why but every day I long for only you

My close friends tell me  
That I'm really a helpless fool  
But as I look at you~~

So bright so bright My eyes are blinded no no no no no  
So surprised surprised I'm shocked oh oh oh oh oh  
So tingly tingly my body is trembling gee gee gee gee gee  
Oh your glittering eyes (oh yeah~) Oh this sweet aroma (oh yeah yeah yeah~)

I can't even say anything  
I'm too embarrassed

Do I not have any courage?  
What would be the right thing to do?  
Thump thump my heart is anxious as I'm looking at you

"Whoooo!" yelled Aerith, making me jump.

_So bright so bright My eyes are blinded no no no no no  
So surprised surprised I'm shocked oh oh oh oh oh  
So tingly tingly my body is trembling gee gee gee gee gee  
Oh your glittering eyes (oh yeah~) Oh this sweet aroma (oh yeah yeah yeah~)_

So bright so bright My eyes are blinded no no no no no  
So surprised surprised I'm shocked oh oh oh oh oh  
So tingly tingly my body is trembling gee gee gee gee gee  
Oh your glittering eyes (oh yeah~) Oh this sweet aroma (oh yeah yeah yeah~)

I was..dumbfounded. I hate this song! She did that on purpose! Behind me, I hear someone clapping. Turning around, I open my mouth to tell them to get out. But, I freeze by who I see walking towards us. I feel Cloud rush forward and block us. "What d'you want, Kadaj?" asked Zack.

"Nothing. Just wanted to have some fun." A moment of silence passed before I hear a loud crash. Peeking over Cloud's shoulder, I see Kadaj lying on the floor, a broken chair by him. Yazoo grits his teeth and pulls out his unusually long pocket knife. We all gasp and panic. But, I can't move. My leg..it's frozen to the spot. I see everyone make a dash to the other side of the room. Cloud grabs Aeriths' hand and drags her behind him. My eyes stay with their locked hands as if everything was happening in slow motion.

"Hey, babe. You owe me." My breath hitches in my throat, causing my heart to beat faster. I feel myself get lifted, his shoulder jabbing into my stomach. I try to roll around, making as much movement as I could.

"Tifa!" I hear Zack call.

Loz drops me on the ground, smirking. I start crawling away from him. A couple seconds pass and I think he's left. "Aerith!" Cloud yells.

I gasp, pushing myself up and running towards Aerith. Yazoo had her cornered, with all Cloud, Zack, and Yuffie on the ground. Using all the strength left in me, I sprint towards Yazoo. Just as I'm about to knock him out, pain shoots into my back as something hits me from behind. My world comes tumbling down as I drop. Drop into oblivion.. My vision blurs, and all sound is lost. My brain starts to shut down on me. In the distance, I hear my name.

Cloud? Is that you? If I make it, maybe we **were** meant to be together. Don't you worry. ...I'm sorry I couldn't save Aerith.

_Don't worry! Aerith's all right! Just stay with me, Tifa! Stay! _

Cloud? Is that you?

_Yes. Please don't leave me-us._

..Cloud? Is it raining? Why's the rain so warm?

_No! No! I have to be here when she wakes up! You can't do this to me!_

Cloud? What's happening?

Silence is my answer.

**Zack's song: **_Wedding Dress by Taeyang_

**Aerith's song: **_Take Care of My Boyfriend by Younha_

**Yuffie's song: **_Gee by Girls' Generation aka Snsd_

_***All translated from Korean to English. Go kpop! Lol.***_

**Author's Note:** _..Okay. I know I haven't updated for awhile, but I've just been having some personal problems at home, at school, and at my old school, well, my friends over there. Sorry sorry sorry! (bows down) But, on the plus side, I'm BAKKK! :) _

_Sorry for that long note! Just..R&R pleeeeeeeeeeease! I'm begging you! I'm on my knees! Okay.. so, I'm not. I'll give you an online high five! If not, you get a D-!(Me&friends say D- instead of FAIL.) Kk! Push that review button!_


	6. But, I Love Him

**Chapter 6: But, I Love Him**

**BY: CSluvGCY :)**

**Author's Note: **_Alright, sorry guys. I been kinda busy these past weeks/months. Some personal problems & stuff (read **Happiness Is Hard to Find** for that stuff). I don't know if this is my best work, but it's been done for about, 2 months ago. Also, my laptop crashed, so yeahh... Enjoy! :)_

I woke up with a huge headache. I slowly opened my eyes and scratched the back of my head. What I saw next was a big surprise. Sitting at the edge of my bed was Cloud's mother. I quickly sat up, straightening up my back. "Ow!" I yelped. A shock of excruciating pain shot through me like a lightning bolt. Cloud's mom quickly came to me and placed her hand on my back, supporting me.

"Where does it hurt?" she asked, surprisingly concerned.

I looked up at her. "Right around here..," pressing my back to find the spot where the pain had come from.

"We'll fix that right up." I gave her a small smile and looked down at my hands. The events of last night played in my head. Although, there was a point where I couldn't see anything at all. It was all just pitch black. But, I heard his voice. Cloud...

My head shot up. "Where's Cloud? Is he okay?" I asked, almost yelling.

"Cloud's fine," she explained. "he's checking up on his friend. Aerith if I can recall. The little girl was scared out of her wits! She wouldn't go home until Cloud agreed to walk her home. Poor girl.. Her parents must've been worried sick at the sight of her."

_Oh. _"Oh... Well, he came back all right, right? No injuries, no scratches, not anything?"

She brushed back my hair with her hand. "Don't worry too much about Cloud. He's fine. You should be more worried about your health and injuries, am I right?" I nodded. "Now, I..I hope you're feeling better because I have some.._good _news to tell you." I looked at her with curious eyes. "As you know, you've been with us for 6 days now. Well, one of those days you were asleep the whole time, but anyways. I..I found someone who would like to, umm..adopt you. And we've arranged for your leaving tonight," I abruptly stood up, worried that I wouldn't have time to tell Cloud, or does he already know about this? She gently pulls me back down "You'll have enough time to tell Cloud about your decision. I know its technically not your decision, but as you've noticed, ever since you have arrived here, my son has been very distracted and he's been getting into so much trouble. It's not like him... Would you, please just say a silent farewell to him?"

So much pain.. How could this have happened? I tried so hard to be normal. To be loved again But this, this is worse then being abandoned. Why does fate hate me so? What have I ever done wrong? I'm sorry I love him, I really am. But, it's unfair.. Everyone I love, I lose. What does the future hold for me? I don't have enough strength left in me to trust again. Because I know that I will never meet a guy like Cloud again. And it hurts, knowing I have to leave him without him knowing. Maybe this is fate. This is a sign; we weren't meant to be together. And yet, fate is cruel..

"Yes. A silent farewell is fine. But," My eyes swelled up with tears, blurring my vision, "nothing is going on between us. He's just been very nice to me. And I appreciate that. Because I have no friends left. At least, in this world..,"

She reaches out and grasps my hands. "You truly are an angel. I hope your mother and father are watching you now because you are growing up to be a beautiful woman. I apologize for anything my son or I have done to offended you. I truly am sorry."

"It's-"

"Madam, your 4 o'clock appointment is here."

I look down at my hands, my heart racing faster and faster. This can't be happening. This can't be happening! Wake up. Wake up, Tifa..

I feel something touch my hand and I open my eyes. Cloud's mom looked me in the eyes with deep concern. "If there is anything you want, anything at all, just tell me. I feel so insanely guilty about this..," she said, her voice sounding quieter and quieter each passing second.

Anything I want..? To stay? No, that's too much. "Can I..have more time to say good-bye?" I ask.

"How much time are you wishing for?" she asked, eyeing me in suspicion.

"Just..just one day. Please, I just need one day with him. Just one..and I'll be gone. You'll never see me again."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just, I want my son to be at his happiest. To succeed so he can grow up to run his father's business. Distractions are too risky," she says, looking away into the distance. I sit there, waiting for an answer to my question; my one wish. "...One day. Tomorrow night, your new "father" will come and escort you to your new home. Get your things packed and ready. You may take any of your belongings and things we've given you," she kisses my forehead,"if this one wish satisfies you so, I am proud to have met you, Tifa. You're like the daughter I never had. Don't you ever forget that."

And with that, she walked out the door. Daughter she never had? I thought she hated me? I thought I was nothing but a burden; an orphan girl with no hope and trust, and no future. I fall back down on my bed. One day..just one day with Cloud. I've been here, only six days. This place truly is heaven. I know now, that I can be loved again. Pulling the sheets back over my head, I drift off into an endless sleep.

x-x :O

I woke up around night time, and noticed a letter on the pile of clothes and such on my drawer. I opened it up, and it read:

_You sleep too much. Wake up and meet me at the well in the center of town. Don't be late. Bring me a sandwich while you're at it._

_-Cloud_

_P.S. I was just kidding about the sandwich. Unless you're up for it :)_

I rolled my eyes and got off the bed. I guess Cloud had picked an outfit for me to wear. Picking it up, I noticed it was a dress. A blue dress. Are you kidding me? It's a well, not a fancy restaurant. Sighing, I slipped the dress on, and struggled balancing trying to put the matching heels on. He is SO gonna get it!

Tiptoeing down the stairs toward the front doors, I glance around, hoping Cloud's mother wasn't down here. I made it past the door and out into the warm air.

x-x :O

Turning around the curve of the well, I finally spot Cloud sitting on the edge, his legs swinging back and forth. "You wanted to tell me something?" I asked, sitting down beside him.

He brought his arm up behind his head and scratched his neck. "Uhh, yeah," he cleared his throat,"how did you sleep?"

I looked at him, annoyed. He put his hands out and waved them. "No, I meant..," he bit his lip,"do you hurt? Anywhere?"

"You didn't have to bring me here to ask me that, Cloud. I know something's wrong." Placing my hand lightly on top of his, I say, "Just tell me."

"I love you," he blurted.

I was stunned. We had only known each other for what, not even a week?, and he's confessing his love for me? I wanted to tell him that I love him too, but I will have to leave him soon. I don't want to hurt him... But, I should be honest here, right?

Gulping, I reply, "Cloud, I think this is going a little too fast. I mean, we're just kids, right?" He nodded, his eyes locked on mine. Trying not to hesitate to prove him of my honesty, I state, "Many relationships end fast. During middle school and high school, I mean. We're still building a friendship here. I don't wanna ruin anything, and-"

Suddenly, he leaned in towards me, our nose almost touching. "I know you like me. Please don't deny that fact." He bit his lip. My eyes locked onto his lips as he bit them. It was so hard not to watch. Almost...irrestible. How can such a weird action make me so distracted? Or is just the fact that it's Cloud doing it? "Will you go out with me?"

"I-..what?"

He leaned back, cupped his mouth with his hands and yelled, "TIFA! WILL YOU GO ON A DATE WITH ME TOMORROW?"

I felt something warm come down my face and I finally realized they were tears. I quickly wiped them away just as Cloud looked at me. I cupped my mouth and yelled in reply,"YES, CLOUD! I WILL GO ON A DATE WITH YOU TOMORROW!"

Wiping my (hopefully) last tears away, I turn to him and smile. He looked at me with a suspicious look, but I ignored it, hoping he would just act like it was nothing. He gently pushed my head on his shoulder as he leaned against a pole behind him. As the night passed, all my worries were washed away. Just for the moment. I knew that tomorrow would be when karma gets back at me. Just because it wants to torment me.

I guess I sank down sometime during the night because I remember hearing his heartbeat. _Thump..thump..thump..._

Author's Note: It's been awhile, hasn't it? I hope you guys haven't forgotten me, cause I haven't given up on you guys yet! How'd you like my element of SURPRISE? Lol. I promise I'll try to post up sooner! Like, way WAY sooner. May the force be with you :O 3


	7. This Is Really Goodbye

**This is Really Good-bye**

"You look..," He gulped, nervous. "li-like Tifa."

I giggled. "Thank you. You look very handsome, Cloud."

I bowed curtly. I don't know why, but I felt like a princess for just a second there. My mistake. Cloud took my hand and led me out the door, just like a prince does in those unrealistic fairytale stories. My face burned with excitement, and bashfulness. I could feel my heart beating agaisnt my chest from the inside. I gulped, my hands shaking. All this time with him, this thought never came across my mind once; that he liked me, and I liked him. Such short time with him, and I never even thought of the possibility of embarrassing myself in front of the guy I (almost) loved.

"I like what your wearing," he complimented.

I looked down at my outfit. A white off-the-shoulder shirt, accompanied by black shorts that was a combination of shorts and capris. I'd like to call them shapris. Or chorts. I thought about wearing those killer black heels in my closet. They _would _show off my legs, but that wasn't my goal for today. (I chose my all-black Converse instead.) My goal for today was to spend as much time as I could with him. With Cloud. But, even this wouldn't make-up for leaving him tonight. Nothing will. And I'll live regretting this my whole life.

"I-I like your choice of outfit, too." He looked at me, noticing my sudden stutter. I gave him a timid smile, hoping for him to think it was out of shyness, not because I was distracted by something else. He gave me a toothy smile and squeezed my hand.

I wasn't lying. I loved what he was wearing. He was all dressed up today. With his white dress shirt and black vest. His black slacks and black dress shoes. I'm impressed. Which maked me like him even more.

"Hey, Cloud. Can we come back to your house kinda late?"

"Hm. How late?"

"I don't know. After sunset?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me. He shook his head, "We can't. My mom would be really mad. You know that, don't you?"

My gaze dropped to the floor. "Hey..," he says, lifting my head up. "It's okay. We'll have enough time together. I promise."

And that's when my heart broke.

He doesn't know how much time we _don't _have together.

Stepping closer to me, he kisses my forehead, and embraces me for a minute or two. I don't get him. Does he _know _or not? I don't have the heart to tell him. And that's why I have to rush him. I pull away and snake my hand in his, "Let's go."

* * *

"Wow! This is _so _cool!"

He brought me to an amusement park! And not just an amusement park. The 5 Year Amusement Park. It's only open once every 5 years. Which is odd since it probably doesn't make that much money. And, come on! It's an amusement park! It should be open almost all the time. I swear, this town is the _weirdest. _

"What d'you wanna do first? Go on the 'Queer Square'?" He laughed. I'm gonna miss his laugh. I smiled and looked around. Maybe there's a.. Wait, what was that? Was that a pink bow I just saw? And there it came; Aerith. Her brown hair had never made me feel so relieved. My eyes followed her; she was headed to the bathroom. I turned towards Cloud.

"Cloud!"

"Ah! What?"

"Sorry."

"I'm right next to you. No need to scream." He whinned, rubbing his ear as if I bit it.

"I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back, kay?"

I left without having to hear what he had to say. I'm sure he was okay with it. I stepping into the girls' bathroom and spotted Aerith. She was crying. I looked around and saw that no one else was in here with us. Locking the door, I walked towards Aerith. "Aer?" Her head snapped up. "Are you okay?"

She started crying even more at the sight of me. I quickly embraced her in my arms like my mom used to do to me whenever I was upset. "Shh.. It's okay. Everything's gonna be fine. I'm here for you." She clung onto me tightly, as if the world depended on it. I let her cry endlessly until I had remembered that Cloud was waiting for me. "What's wrong?"

She wiped her tears away and sniffed. "Z-zack's le-leaving."

"Leaving? Where's he going?"

"Midgar." She forced out.

"Midgar? For what?"

"SOLDIER," she whispered.

I went speechless. SOLDIER...? No. No... No! My breath hitched. "Where is he?" I demanded.

But she just shook her head. "I don't know. But, I.. I love him. So much." She faced the sink and held its sides. "I don't know why, but the thought of not being able to have Cloud made me want him even more. And now that I look at it, Zack's the one I want. Always has been..," She sunk to the floor. "I was so stupid.."

"I'll talk to him. No, persuade him. I-"

"No, Tifa. Go to Cloud. He needs you. He's waiting for you. I..I just need to be alone for a little while. We'll talk next time, okay?"

My heart throbbed with pain. There was _no _tomorrow for me here. And if anyone should know..it should be her.

I grabbed her shoulders. "Aerith. I have to tell you something. But you _have _to promise me you won't tell anyone."

"Not even Cloud?"

"_Especially _not Cloud."

She wiped her tears away. "Okay. I promise."

I pressed my lips together, overthinking if this was a good idea. This is Aerith, of course I can trust her, right?

"I'm leaving." Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened. I covered her mouth with my hand. "Let me finish." She nodded and I dropped my hand. "Cloud's mom found me a new place to stay. No, _live. _And I'm leaving _tonight." _I paused. "I want you to..to take care of Cloud for me. He's a good boy. And his mom isn't around much. I mean, he doesn't even know how to _dance!_ I need you to be there for him. Always. If anything happens to him, be at his side. When he cries, hold him and comfort him." At this point, I'm overflowing with tears. Because I'm asking her to _love _him. To love him in my place. But, that's okay. So he won't hurt as much. So he'll forget me faster and love someone who'll stay with him. "When he's mad, tell him Pablo would be disappointed with him because he's not being a very good Spongebob Squarepants." And I can't say anything after this. All the pain I've kept inside pours out and I'm left on the floor, hugging my knees.

"Hello? Tifa? Are you still in here?"

Cloud.

I'm worried now. Standing up, I run to the sink and turn on the faucet. Splashing water in my face, I'm blinded. Because I can't keep up with all these caged feelings. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I relax. "It's okay, Tifa. I'll be there for Cloud, like you've always been with me. I'll miss you." She leans her head on my shoulder and I look down at my hands.

"Hey! Teef- Why is this locked? Tifa! Tifa! Are you okay?"

Aerith grabs some paper towels for me. I dry my face and turn to her. "You look beautiful," she says, giving me two thumbs up.

I unlock the door and am face to face with Cloud. I smile at him, cocking my head to the side. "Sorry! Girl talk!"

He starts to peer inside. I push him away from the bathroom. "You pervert!"

"No, it's not what you're thinking!" He explains, waving his arms in protest.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?"

"Shh. Why are you so curious about everything? Don't you ever want to be surprised?"

"No."

He stopped at my words and shook free of my hands. "Did I say something wrong?"

Silence.

This _would _be better if he hadn't blindfolded me. I put my arms out, reaching for him. "Cloud, where _are _you?"

Warm hands grasp mine and pull me forward, almost breaking my balance. Suddenly, I'm being pushed (shoved) into a small space of some kind. Hands untie the blindfold and unveils the scene in front of me: a small screen was above me. Below the screen were some buttons and a slot to jam your money in. Five gil it said. Someone plops down next to me, examining the thing.

Cloud.

He takes his wallet out and pulls five gil, quickly slipping it into the money slot. Leaning forward, he presses a green arrow pointing right. I cock my head to the left, curious. On the screen showed different frames. For like, a picture. Looking through the random frames, he finally decided on the chocobo-framed one.

Leaning back, he puts his arm around me.

_3.._

I look at his hand on my shoulder, wondering if I should kick his ass or let him be happy. For that moment.

_2.._

Turning to look at his face, I give him a silent warning.

_1.._

He shoots me an innocent smile. But that doesn't effect me. Not one bit.

There's a shutter sound and my gaze moves upward, toward the screen. I'm stunned. I don't even know what I looked like when that thing clicked! I glared back at him. "Cloud Strife," I said through gritted teeth. "You're gonna pay."

He leans into my face and pecks my lips. "Look pretty for the camera."

_3.._

Holy Shiva. He just-

_2.._

"Cloud-"

_1.._

Grasping the sides of my head, he leans in and kisses my forehead. I blinked just as his lips pressed against me. From the side, I hear a shutter sound, and a chuckle. He lays his chin on my shoulder and whispers, "You're really bad at posing, you know."

I nod my head, trying to hold onto this memory. "Ready for the finale?" he asks.

"Hm? What's that?"

He puts his fingers by the ends of his eyes and stretches his face. Sticking out his tongue, he motions his head toward the screen. _Oh.. _It's been videotaping us the whole time. Well, kinda. It's just like a camera but it says 3, 2, 1. Speak of the devil-

_3.._

I panic. What should I do? Bunny ears?

_2.._

No. Sooooo last year. Mad face? No-

_1.._

Blowing up my cheeks, I turn to Cloud and point at him, giving off an angry expression. The shutter sound goes off and we burst into fits of laughter. He steps out and grabs the photos. "Let me see!" I exclaim, reaching for them.

"No. Their mine. I paid for them," he states, sticking out his tongue. His face softens. Grabbing my free hands, he leads me somewhere. Again. "I wanna show you something."

* * *

"This is nice."

It was a breath taking scene; the sun was setting, the waves were gently crashing against the shore, and the sky was a shade of purple, brown, red, orange. The clouds in the sky were moving away, towards the setting sun, like something was beckoning them to go. The wind blowing felt nice. It wasn't strong enough as to knock me off my feet, or as soft enough as to not even able to feel the wind. No, it was strong and soft enough to blow my hair. It's a nice feeling. Opening my eyes, I notice Cloud put something in his pocket. A box? He starts to turn around and I flinch.

Walking toward me with bare feet, Cloud extends his hand. "You didn't finish teaching me how to dance."

A smile appears on my face before I allow it to. I slowly place my hand on his and let him lead me to what seems like the middle of the beach. I slip my feet out of my converse, along with my socks and smile up at him. Placing his hands on my waist, he pulls me in, almost crushing my body against his. I give him a slightly mad look and a pout, causing him to pull me in even closer. He didn't know what he was doing to me; my face felt flushed and red, and I could literally feel my heart beating against my chest.

Lifting my arms up, I lay my hands on his shoulders and avoid his eyes. I feel him shift his upper body to the side. I glance at him and he has his head cocked at an angle. I blink several times, confused, waiting. "..Um, are you ready?"

"Oh..oh! Me? Yeah, of course I'm ready! Never been more ready," I babbled.

I bit my lip so as to keep my mouth from opening up and saying stupid things like I just did. I catch sight of a small smile from him and I smile along with him. Ah, what love does to you..

He slowly starts to move from side to side, and I follow. "So...," he starts. "I was thinking...," Pause. Gulp. "Do you wanna go star gazing tomorrow night?"

My growing smile faded. What? "What?"

"Star gazing. Tomorrow."

Silence.

"I know earlier you wanted to spend more time with me before the day ended. I can't do that today. I have..things to do. But, I can give you my whole day tomorrow. How 'bout that?" he asks, leaning down to meet my eyes.

My eyes are roaming. No..No! I'm leaving tonight. _Tonight. _I shouldn't have led him on. But, I love him. So much. We've stopped dancing now. And I know that this would be our very last dance together. My eyes tear up but I can't look up at him like this. I force out a giggle. "Y-yeah! I'd love that, Cloud."

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

I'm on the edge of tears right now. The more he does and says is like another stab at my heart. _After this date ends.._

"I've never been mad at you, Cloud."

_I'll have to live with this guilt. _

"Should we head home?" he asks.

No. Not yet. "Yes," I reply, the words stinging my lips. I'm basically telling him that I'm leaving him.

* * *

"Wait."

I whip my head around. "Huh?"

He runs to me, crushing me against his chest, catching my lips in a hot kiss. My whole world stopped. His lips glide over mine gently, but passionately. I feel his breath against my lips and my knees shake. Snaking my arms around his neck, I grab at his hair and pull him closer, if that were possible. He hands roam around my waist, and up my back. We were lost in this kiss, our kiss, for what felt like eternity. But when it ended, when he pulled away, it seemed as though our lips had just connected.

We breathed heavily, and our hearts were beating in sync. "Cloud..," I breathed.

"I love you," he says, locking eyes with me.

"We're just kids, Cloud. How can-"

"I just do." He takes my hand in his. "Here. It's for you."

It was a blue jewelry box. "Don't open it yet. Please."

I nod. "Let's go home," he says.

I take a step forward but he stays were he is. "Cloud?"

He takes a breath. "Whatever happens, I love you."

* * *

Here I am. In my room. Alone.

Cloud went to his mom's office upstairs. She's probably stalling for me. I thank her; for everything she's done for me. Even though I've only been here a week, she's given me hope. Cloud's my hope. Because of him, I know I'm not alone in this world. He'll always be in my heart, and I'll always love him. Even though he won't ever forgive me, I can only love him.

My things are packed. I hold onto the necklace Cloud gave me. This is it. Our story ends here. My door opens and in comes one of the butlers. "You're ride is here, Ms. Lockhart."

"Just Tifa, please. Thank you." I bow down to him. "I'll be there soon."

He nods and grabs my suitcases. As he walks out, I close the door and take a breather.

Wait.

I never told Cloud that I..love him. On my desk is a pen. I grab that pen and look for some paper. On the ground was some napkins. I grab them I start writing as fast as I can.

* * *

"Ms. Lockhart."

"Good-bye, Reeve. Thank you, for everything."

I look back at his house. It's not mine anymore. Never has been..

x-x

Cloud's POV

I'm finally out. Sighing, I close my door and loosen my tie on my neck. Tifa was acting really weird today. I'll have to give her a present tomorrow to cheer her up. I guess her parents' death keep crawling up on her. Sitting on my bed, I rub my eyes. I should really shower.

My eyes land on something blue and velvety on my desk. It's the box I gave to Tifa just before we got home. Did she not like it? Grabbing the box, I open it up, wondering why she returned it. A napkin falls out of the box, revealing the carved-wolf earring I gave her. PLacing the box on my bed, I pick up the napkin and unfold it.

There's writing on it?

x-x

Tifa's POV

"It's time, Ms. Lockhart. Zangan is waiting upon your arrival."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

Stepping into the limo, I feel the door slam shut. I want Cloud here with me. I'm not strong enough.

"Tifa dear?"

I looked towards the source of the voice. It was Cloud's mom. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for doing this to you. I know you love my Cloud, but I'm separating you two..," she rubbed her tears away. "Just know I'm doing this for _you. _For your safety."

"Yes, ma'am. I understand. I don't blame you."

Tears fall from her eyes and she runs back inside her house. My window closes and I take another breather.

x-x

Cloud's POV

_Cloud,_

_These past seven days have been very soothing. It's hard for me to leave like this, without giving you a proper goodbye._

His heart stopped. He couldn't finish the rest of the letter. He had to stop her from leaving. Tossing the letter aside, he ran out of his room and dashed down the stairs.

_I just hope you'll be okay. Don't do anything reckless. Please don't hurt yourself over this._

Running out the front doors, he caught sight of a leaving limo. Sprinting towards it, he called her name. "Tifa!"

_You meant too much to me. These feelings developing inside of me... I couldn't stop them from overtaking me._

"Tifa! Don't leave me!"

_And now, I'm leaving you. When you wake up, I'll be gone. Just think of me as a nightmare. _

Running after the limo, he yelled after her, trying to get her to hear him. But it just kept going. Never stopping.

_I know it's hard to accept this, but try to understand._

The limo had accelerated and was now farther away from Cloud. "No! Tifa! TIFA!"

_If we really were meant to be together,, then fate will bring us back together one day. _

Cars were crossing the street. They were behind Cloud, in front of him, everywhere. But he didn't care. The one person that meant the whole world to him was leaving him.

_Until then, I'll be waiting for that day._

From the side of his face, he was blinded by light and heard a horn blow. And then a scream from somewhere.

_Just remember that.._

"Tifa!"

_I love you._

His whole world turned black. And all he could see was darkness. "Tifa.."

_So much. _

_ -Tifa Lockhart_

Author's Note: No, it's not over! Was the end confusing? I hope so.. Haha. The italics at the end were what Tifa wrote on the napkin to Cloud.


	8. 7 Years Later

7 Years Later...

Stumbling into the busy restaurant, I struggled to grabbed for something to hold onto. In my arms were stacks of paper, along with bills and checks hanging loosely in the middle of it all. When I finally had a firm grip on my papers, I regained my posture and walked towards the front desk.

A lady dressed in black formal clothing looked up and plastered a smile on her face at the sight of my arrival. "Ah, you must be Ms. Lockhart." I smiled, and nodded. "This way," she instructed, sweeping her arm towards a set of tables. Taking a step forward, I brushed past her and searched for my companion.

I smiled when I finally caught sight of his long, jet black hair. Right under the crystal-like chandelier, he looked so innocent and sort of..glowed. Which should've been a bit weird looking considering how pale his skin is. "Vincent!" I squealed, totally oblivious to the glaring eyes glossing over me. Nearly tripping on my heels, my hands landed on the table top, causing Vincent to raise one eyebrow. He knew how jealous that always made me.

Giving him a big smile, one with my eyes shut, I plopped myself down on the seat in front of him. "Sorry. Had to make preparations for tomorrow," I sighed, setting my purse on my lap. I looked up and met his dubious expression. "Don't tell me you forgot!" I scolded, a bit of annoyance in my voice. "I've been talking about this for over two months!"

"Hm?"

Taking a deep breath, I looked away, pouting like a little kid who didn't get their ice cream cone. "Ah, that."

My eyes lighted up. "You remember now?"

"Yeah." Pause. "You're going to that new casino that just opened downtown. Personally, I-"

"Vince!" I yelled, slapping his arm.

He chuckled, and shook his head. "I heard it's a nice place. I've been thinking about going there myself, actually. Tomorrow, to be exact. Wanna go?"

My eyes flared with anger and irritation. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm doing tomorrow, Vincent Valentine." I made it a point to announciate his name. "We're best friends, and what kind of best friend would you be if you forgot about the first day of my new life?"

"A kind of friend that went out of his way to tell the owner of this place to bake you a cake _and_ sing to you."

"You-what?"

Suddenly, a chocolate covered cake topped with brownies, whip cream, and chocolate sprinkles was placed in front of her. "Wha-"

"Congratulations to you," the workers sang in unison. "Congratulations to you. Congratulations, dear Tifaaaaaa. Congratulations to you!"

"Cha cha cha! Hiya! Where's my coca-cola?"

"Reno, you just ruined the moment," said Vincent, shaking his head. The workers left silently, a bit of annoyance on their faces at the sight of Reno.

I laughed. "Actually, it kinda brightened up my mood." I stood up, hands placed on both ends of the table. "Let's go out and do something fun!"

Vincent's eyes widened, appalled. "This isn't fun?"

"No," I stated, my face with no expression. I've gotten quite good at showing no emotion. It ticks Vince off, considering how he observes people so often, that he can't see how I'm feeling.

"But-we haven't even had the cake!" I jut out my lower lip in a pleading gesture. He sighs. "What d'you wanna do?"

"Let's go clubbing!" interrupts Reno.

Vincent glances our way as he asks a waiter for a box to put the cake in. Clubbing? My mind ponders at the idea for a moment. "That sounds like-"

"Tifa?"

My voice catches in my throat. Because I know _that _voice. I first heard it seven years ago, from when I stayed at a boy's house, and went to school. I'm frozen on the spot; I can't breathe, think, or even move. When I finally break out of my solid state, I turn around and end up inches away from a familiar pair of blue eyes.

**Author's Note:** I'm so so so so SOOO sorry for being gone for sooo long! I kinda lost my inspiration for writing a while back. Or, more lazy that is. I went through a difficult time, but now I'm back! :) This chapter was a bit short, considering how I really couldn't think of how to start from where I ended up last time. But, stay with me, & I promise it'll be an exciting ride! R&R please!


	9. Unexpected Reunion

**Midnight Angel Sakura: **Haha, not so fast! They're reunion can't be THAT easy, can it? ;)

**l:** nice name :D Thanks. Continuing on~

**CronaGorgonxDeathTheKid: **Ahaha, I love your name ;) You're amazing, too 3

**preettygabbysz: **Thanks! Girl's Generation is pretty awesome, lol.

**Azkaban: **-Harry Potter reference! Ahhhh! Lol. Aha, I actually thought about rewriting this story, but I thought maybe it'd take too much work so I continued it ;) I'm glad you enjoyed it so far. I hope you keep reading :)

**honey-taste:** Here's the next chapter :D

**sunflowerspot: **Haha, am I really that predictable? Lol.

**Magic: **Continuing~~ Lol.

**Unexpected Reunion**

"Zack?"

He gave me his signature grin. "Long time, no see, huh, Teef?"

This was crazy. Out of all the places, and all the people, I'm seeing Zack after so many years. He didn't look like the cute, fun-loving boy I once knew from before. But, considering how he still had that playful gleam in his eyes, I know he hasn't changed much. He'd always be Zack Fair: the Puppy.

Slowly starting my way towards him, I thought about the different ways to greet him. Hug? No, that's awkward. We were never that close. Handshake? Hmm, too old school. Besides, handshakes are only neccessary for first meetings. A 'hi' wave? No, he'd think I'm some type of germaphobe or something.

Stretching my arms towards him, he gave me a dubious look, but only for a second. He held out his arm, & I made contact with his gut. Thrusting my fist into his stomach, I watched him cower in pain, a smirk plastered on my face. "Wha..?"

I pointed my fingers at him. "That's for joining SOLDIER!" I strode over to him until I was mere inches away from his face. "And for leaving Aerith when she needed you the most."

His eyes widened. "Me?"

"Yes, you." I swear. Guys are so clueless.

"I left to give her time to think. And to make _something_ out of myself. I-"

"Excuse me..but how do you two know each other?"

Vincent.

"Ah, Vince, this is Zack. The guy I told you about once. I knew him before I came to live at Zangan's."

Arms crossed, Vincent gave Zack another quick glance before turning back to me. He sighed. "What d'you want me to do? Wait outside?"

"Hey! Don't forget about me! My shift's almost over," Reno called from a table near us. The guests rolled their eyes and continued to examine the menu.

My eyes brightened. "Zack! Come clubbing with us!" I pulled on his arm.

"What? No. No, I couldn't-"

"And why not?"

His eyes darted sideways before answering,"I have an appointment with someone."

Glancing around the room, I noticed all the tables were fully occupied. "Liar."

"Look-"

"Where's Cloud?" I interrupted.

"I-huh? Cloud?" Pause. Swallow. "He..he's busy."

"Let's go somewhere else and talk," I suggested, glancing at Vincent, then back at Zack.

He nodded, his eyes never meeting mine. I picked up the cake box and handed it to Vince, smiling like a three-year-old. As I hooked one arm in his, and my other arm in Zack's, we walked out the door and into the cool night air.

x-x

Pushing the door open, a bell rung above and I heaved a sigh of relief. Everything was placed exactly where I had planned for them to be. The dishes were washed, dried, and put away. The floor was spotless. Glass cups were set against the back wall, ready to be filled. "This place yours?" It was Zack speaking.

The two men slowly entered the room; one appalled, the other expressionless. Zack's eyes glossed over the room, taking in everything at once. Vincent, on the other hand, barely peered at the room.

"Yeah," I sighed, stepping farther in, hands clasped behind me.

"What's with all the tables and chairs?"

"It's my new business." He cocked his head to the side, confused. I smiled,"I'm opening up a bar tomorrow morning." Pause. "A bar-restuarant type deal. Nothing much." I waved my hand, as if it didn't matter. Except it did.

"It's great. Really, Teef." Zack placed his hand on my shoulder, reasurring me.

"Hn." I wonder who _that _could be. I didn't have to look at Vincent to know what he was doing; arms crossed, leaned against the wall, with his eyes closed. With the cake box on the floor next to him.

"So..are you SOLDIER?"

His adam apple bobbed up and down before he answered. "No, well, yeah. I mean, I was." Turning away, he took a deep breath and released it. "I quit. ShinRa has..many problems. Secrets."

"A lot of drama, huh?" I joked.

He chuckled. "Yeah. Sometimes I wish they weren't so..harsh."

I looked into his eyes for some kind of resemblance to the little boy I once (kinda) knew back then. Seeing him like this now, made my heart hurt. I've heard how hard it was in SOLDIER. So much blood being shed, especially just recently when a famous 1st Class SOLDIER had been marked dead. "Is something wrong?" I asked, worry in my voice.

He looked up at me, a bit of surprise in his eyes. I gave him a small, reassuring smile. "No," he replied, turning his face away from me. "I just..can't believe you're here. How..how long have you been living here?"

"About three years. I'm turning 21 in a couple days." I peered up at him, trying to get him to look at me. "Don't tell anyone, though," I whispered. "I told them I turned 21 about two weeks ago."

Our eyes met for a moment, and we burst out in fits of laughter. Zack cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. "Wa..wait till Cloud mee-" He stopped abruptly, his eyes wide in shock.

I cocked my head to the side. "Wait till Cloud what?" I felt, more than saw, Vincent's head snap up at the sound of Cloud's name.

Out of habit, Zack's hand scratched the back of his head. "W-well.. Right now isn't really the best time for you guys to see each other again."

My eyes narrowed in on him. "What?"

He shook his gloved hands in protest. "No no no no no! I didn't mean anything by that! It's just.." Pausing, he stood there, trying to find the right words. "Your birthday's in a few days, right?"

"Yeah, but stop trying to chang-"

"Come to my casino downtown then. We'll celebrate there and everything. Bring friends and money. You'll have free entrance and food."

I sighed. "Where are you going with this?"

He pressed his lips together. "I-I just.." He saw my look of skeptimism and tried to explain,"Cloud's busy; really busy these days." Grasping my shoulders, he leaned down and stared right down into my eyes. For a moment, we just stayed like that. His eyes looked like Cloud's. Except Cloud's eyes were a lighter shade of blue; like beach water near a shore.

"He's not the same."

_Huh?_

"Hm?" That's all I could get out.

"Cloud's not the same. When you see him, _if _you see him, he won't be the same. He's changed; he's never going to be the guy you once knew back then."

"Sounds like you should give up on this Cloud guy, Tifa," Vincent advised, a playful smirk on his lips.

I scoffed,"I'm not-I'm..I haven't seen or heard of him for over seven years!"

"Seven?" Vince asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Is that what you meant by naming this place-"

"Yeah, uh-huh. Shush." I turned to Zack. "What d'you mean he's not the same? I mean, I knew he wouldn't be the same, but we were friends. Don't you think he'd want to see his old friend again? "

He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it after a second thought. Rubbing his temple, Zack sighed. "I'm not promising anything. Just come to my casino whenever you're free, alright? Give me a call first." I nodded.

Reaching into his pocket, Zack took out a business card and handed it to me. "Call me at this number when you're free." He glanced at his watch. "Gotta go, Teef."

"I-Oh..okay." My voice grew quiet. "Bye."

Grinning at me, he walked out the door, muttering words to himself.

"Interesting..."

Vince.

"What is?" I asked, stepping towards him.

Chuckling, he replied,"He seems a bit nervous about you and that Cloud guy seeing each other again. On his way out, he mumbled something about Cloud killing him. What does that tell you?"

My mind went blank. I seriously didn't hear any of what he just said. "You tell me."

Pushing himself away from the way, he stalked towards me until he was right in front of me. "It seems to me, your Cloudy boy must've grown a certain grudge on you, considering how you just left him in the middle of the night."

"What?"

"Cloud hates you."

"Aha!" With his red colored hair, dressed in waiter's clothes, Reno burst through the front doors, pointing a finger at me. "You guys _thought _you lost me, but I'm not as dumb as you guys think." His eyes slowly skimmed across the place. "What _is _this place?"

Leave it to Reno to dumb down the atmosphere.

**Author's Note: **I've been so lazy -_- I tried making this chapter longer, but I really couldn't.. Haha. I think I'm losing inspiration :( But no worries! I promise I won't leave this story until I finish! You guys are my motivation :D R&R please!


	10. Karma

**Magic: **_Thanks, keep reading and you'll know ^_^_

**Midnight Angel Sakura: **_Lol, got trolled! xD Here's the next one! Short, though :/_

**Azkaban:** _I'm also a huge Potterhead & Tribute, lol! Thanks for giving my story a chance even though I'm rarely updating :)_

**Hi:** _Lol, I like your name ^_^ Continuing now, & will try harder so you don't have to wait that long :)_

**michiko-naoki: **_Hmm, haven't really thought deep about who Yuffie ends up with, but you'll see ^_^ We'll get into Aerith's story (as well as everyone else's) in later chapters. But she makes an appearance pretty soon *hint hint* Lol. _

_A/N: _Short chapter, sorry! Been lacking internet & ideas due to summer vacation :'( I'll try harder, I promise! :)

Karma

The opening day of Seventh Heaven was a hit; men from all over Sector 7 came to order drinks and eat my home-cooked meals. During the evening, there were a few drunkards, but thanks to Zangan's training, I took care of them whenever they caused trouble.

Yuffie, one of my employees, always tried to get men to buy her a drink. Maybe cause she liked drinking, or maybe she was a genius and was earning more money for the business. I'm not really sure, but as long as she didn't get wasted or violated, I'm alright with it.

"Tifa, a Blue Hawaii for the guy at table four!"

"Got it, Yuf. Can you clean up table two?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, bouncing up and down on her way there.

I quickly mixed the ordered Blue Hawaii and set it down on the counter. Right when I was about to add one whole cherry to top it off, I heard a raspy gasp from table two. "Yuf?"

"Those bastards gave me 1 gil for tip!"

The door opened and some customers helped themselves to open seats.

I raised my voice so she could hear me. "Maybe you didn't do a very good job or something." Plopping in the cherry, I set it down in front of the customer and offered him a napkin.

"I did an _excellent_ job. Those bastards are just.._urg_!" Stomping away, she tucked the money in the side of her shoe.

Sighing, I grabbed the note packet and pen. It's been about two weeks since I'd seen Zack. Calling him just didn't seem right after seeing the way he left that night. And every time I picked up the phone to call, I'd have second thoughts and place the phone back down. His words worry me.

Plastering a smile on my face, I lightened my voice to sound more polite. "Can I help you, sir?" I lifted the note packet and pen to ready myself for the order.

"Yes, I'd like an Amino-D and...a Blue Hawaii for my girlfriend."

I quickly scribbled the drinks down and looked at the customer. "Just the..," My voice faltered. Recognition hit me in the face harder than a wave hit the shore. His eyes were as blue as when I last saw them; the innocent face of the little boy back in Nibelheim still wavered in between his strongly developed bone structures. And his hair..how did I not catch his hair? It was crazily spiky; he probably refused to cut it several times.

"Just the drinks, miss," he said slowly, a perplexed look on his face.

I broke out of my trance and nodded, still a little dazed. Turning around to get someone else's order, I stopped in mid-step. Wait..didn't he recognize me? Pressing my lips together in nervousness, I slowly walked over to him. "Don't you...recognize me?"

His eyes flicked up and met mine. I nearly toppled over at the intensity of his eyes. He narrowed his eyes at me, blinked, then rubbed his eyes. "Look, I have many customers, but I'm not expected to remember each and every one of them."

"I-Cloud, are you..you're just kidding, right?" I placed my hand on his arm. Hoping. Pleading.

He jerked his arm up, pushing my hand away. "Don't touch me," he hissed. "Who are you? You think you're in the place to be remembered by someone like me? I live in the upper plate. Touching random people might be a custom down here, but up there, we have restrictions. And manners."

"I-" I'm shocked. He doesn't remember me? Or maybe he _does_ hate me. "Cloud, please don't be mad. I _had_ to leave. I-"

"I don't _know _you, okay?" he yells. "Maybe in your little made-up fantasies, but in real life, where I actually _am_, I don't _know_ you. Okay?"

"Cloud-" I whimper. How can he not remember me? My eyes are blurred by tears and I can't talk. I can't move. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion, and time seems to be dragging on. I look from the glare on his face to Yuffie's concerned expression. I try to hold back my tears, which makes my throat burn. I'm about to break down right then and there when a hand squeezes my shoulder.

"It's okay," he says. Zack.

When I look back up towards Cloud, I see Aerith next to him, her hand covering her mouth in surprise. And on her hand is a diamond ring.


	11. Author's Note

Author's Note:

So, I know it's been a while since I last updated any of my stories. My writing has always disappointed me, and I tried improving. I believe it _has_ gotten better, but then again, I have high expectations for myself. For the past year+ I've been going through some self problems, and I'm still trying to get back up from that. I'll try to upload new chapters and (gasp!) new stories :)

I feel so bad for making you guys wait so long for this story, but I can't really do anything at the moment. I started writing several drabble stories (unfinished), but for your patience, I feel the need to give you guys _something_. So here's a sneak peek at an upcoming drabble story:

Shy Boy

_"She likes bad boys."_

_"Bad boys?"_

Slipping on his leather black gloves, Cloud's eyes traveled up to the top halves of his visible bare fingers. Earlier that day, he had trimmed the half tops of his gloves off in the hopes of impressing his soul—I mean, housemate. Glancing at the mirror, he saw himself cloaked in all black; his torso covered by a loose black t-shirt, and he wore black skinny jeans. Sagged. But that wasn't the worst part. Stepping closer to the mirror, he examined his eyes. Grimacing, he looked over at his desk. Laying on top of it was a thick, small, black pencil marked "eyeliner".

_Kill me now_, he thought.

"Cloud?" He jumped at the sound of her voice. Even from downstairs she could scare him in an instant. "Can you bring these drinks to table six?"

The faucet in the bar started to run and the sound of clinking glasses was heard. With a sigh, he peeked downstairs from behind a wall, making sure no one was in sight to see his dramatic change. Step by step, he slowly made his way behind the bar. "Ti...fa?" To his surprise, she wasn't in the bar.

_"You can't just look the part, you gotta act the part. Wait, no. What was it again? Oh, **be **the part!_

_"The...part?"_

_"Hell-o! Bad boys are tough, mean, careless, dangerous, badass, and...sexy."_

_"..."_


End file.
